


The Dark Age of Love

by lady_setsuna



Category: Parasol Protectorate - Gail Carriger
Genre: F/F, For Science!, Light BDSM, Light Dom/sub, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-03 07:35:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 29,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1736447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_setsuna/pseuds/lady_setsuna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the events of Timeless, Madame Lefoux becomes interested in Nadasdy's favorite drone, Miss Dair. The countess is jealous, but this is unfortunately the least of Genevieve's problems. When the inventor's loyalty to OBO is tested, she has to choose between love and science.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Courts and Courtship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 in which Countess Nadasdy nibbles on Mabel and Genevieve protests

Madame LeFoux flinched.

The countess was persistent and kept sucking. Genevieve kept her eyes on Miss Dair – pale, her blonde hair spread all over the floor. Small drops of blood spackled her curls. Nadasdy touched Genevieve’s waist possessively, just a small nudge to make sure that she stayed focused. She wasn’t. The doctor leaned in on Mabel and spoke to her. Madame Lefoux couldn’t hear what he was saying. She felt herself crumbling. Finally, the countess let her go, tossing her aside like an old rag. Genevieve was dizzy and nearly fell but the countess pulled her hand. ‘You belong to me, Lefoux. You are here to pay.’

‘Yes, countess.’

‘I want to hear you say it.’

‘I’m here to serve you, countess. _Voluntarily_.’

‘That a girl. Now bow.’

Shivers went down her spine and she felt nauseous. She did as she was commanded, but it was not heartfelt. Countess Nadasdy must have realized that. ‘Humph.’ She walked up to Genevieve, her high heels clicking on the tiles. She smeared the blood of the dead drone in long red stripes. Nadasdy was far from slender but she always kept her posture. In her own special way, she was quite statuesque, even more so when she towered over Genevieve.

‘When I say bow, you do it with feeling, darling. Now kneel.’ Genevieve did as she was commanded, her knee smudged by the blood of the would-be queen.

Nadasdy walked from side to side. Genevieve eyed sideways and saw that the doctor was leading Mabel away. The countess must have seen her looking, because there was a sharp pain. Nadasdy had kicked her in the belly, hard.

‘She is mine. As are you. Do you understand this?’

‘I do.’

‘I have many girls, but she is my favorite. Did I make myself clear?’

‘Yes.’

‘You may leave, drone.’

‘Thank you, countess.’

Genevieve walked up to her room. She heard Countess Nadasdy call the servants to get rid of the corpse and the blood. She passed Mabel’s room, which was closed, and dizzily went to her own.

 

*

When she woke, the doctor was sitting next to her, injecting her with fluids. They did not talk. Finally, when he saw that she would not faint again, he told her about eating fruit and specific sugars. He gave other advice, the same advice he gave every time. She was relieved when he left and reached for the oranges on her night stand. She ate one and thought about Mabel.

There was a little knock on the door – Quesnel. He asked her what had happened and was clearly well-informed about the incident with the dead drone. She reassured him and they both played some cards. She was happy to see him but she missed the room that they shared together and their inventions. She had a workshop here, but it was not quite the same. Mother and son made arrangements to see each other there tomorrow, to continue their work on a new prototype: an aerial vessel that they called Bumblebee. The machine was inspired by the mechanical ladybugs but fit for a small crew. They enjoyed working on the machine together, since it made them forget – if only for a moment – that they were now part of a hive and no longer free.

Finally, when Quesnel went back to his own room to do some homework, she had a chance to tidy herself up. She bathed, then got into some fresh clothes and walked to Mabel’s room. It took a while before the blond opened the door. She was wearing an evening gown of sorts, but looked utterly tired.

‘I wanted to check in with you.’

‘You know that the countess hates that. I have a play tomorrow with my acting troupe, Genevieve. I need to get well.’

‘I know. Just let me… Please… It is late in the afternoon – the countess is asleep.’

Mabel hesitated and then nodded. Her room was tidy but it smelled vaguely of blood. Miss Dair’s touched the band aid on her neck nervously and asked Madame if she wanted some tea. Genevieve declined. ‘Should I take another look at the wound?’

‘The doctor will call in today.’

‘Sure. I understand,’ she replied with a hint of a French accent. ‘But could I? You seem to be bothered by it. Is it itchy?’

‘Not so much. No more than usual.’

‘Please just let me take a short look.’ Madame Lefoux moved her hand to Mabel’s neck, purposely touching her cheek first. ‘I see,’ she nodded after removing the band aid. ‘It seems a little bit infected. If you have some alcohol, I could…’

‘I’d rather you didn’t.’

‘Mabel…’ Genevieve looked into her blue eyes and lingered for a moment. ‘Well… if you are sure.’

‘I am very sure.’

Madame Lefoux got her a new band aid. The dry blood on the wound and the red marks around it were not a bad sign, but she was worried nonetheless. The countess had helped herself to quite a bit of Miss Dair. Now, the woman looked pale and bony. Just like Madame Lefoux herself. ‘I want you to recover. Your show, you see.’

‘The doctor injected me with all sorts of vitamins and things. You should not be worried.’

They sat down, quietly. Mabel looked shyly at Madame Lefoux. They had both been at the hive for a while now but Mabel went in and out. She had a house in town as well, near Hyde Park, and her acting career to consider. She was loved by a group of fans, many of whom were men. No one really knew her preferences, except Countess Nadasdy. Genevieve had seen Mabel leave her room at odd times, when the countess should have been sleeping. The fact that she frequented the countess, of course, was gossiped about in some saloons and parlors, but this did not prevent the men from swarming around Miss Dair. Every now and then, gentlemen - enthusiasts who had seen her perform – took her out for expensive dinners and bought her gifts. Some even proposed to her. Madame Lefoux understood why. Miss Dair had amazing eyes. She played cute and sugarcoated her words, but when push came to shove, she could be stubborn, strategic and naughty. She knew exactly what she was doing. Nadasdy was attracted to that, and so was Madame Lefoux, who had a preference for divas.

Genevieve examined the flowery curtains and then the literature on the book shelf – a great deal of philosophy and books on supernatural subjects. Mabel liked to educate herself, as any lady should. She also had a strange knack for collecting foreign objects that she put in a glass display. African masks, Japanese scrolls of supernatural Gods or “kami”, dream catchers and other objects that combined craft, art and the occult. Mabel was obsessed with immortality and the afterlife. Deep down, she must be very afraid to die. Madame Lefoux knew what that felt like. She too was afraid of dying. It meant continuing her life as a ghost. She understood what had drawn Mabel here, and Angelique, but it saddened her. Even though the room looked pretty and was fairly large, it was still prison. They meant nothing to that horrible woman, that Nadasdy.

‘Why do you stay here?’

‘She’s good to me.’

‘No, she isn’t.’

Mabel played with her evening gown and didn’t look at Genevieve. ‘It’s hard out there. I want to be appreciated, adored… I want to be beautiful. Nadasdy adores me and needs me.’

‘I know.’

‘Once you are here, it is hard to get out. Being bitten is very pleasing. Being needed by the countess, that’s… that’s wonderful too. She treats me with respect.’

‘What I saw yesterday was not respect. She threw us away like rags.’

‘She was starving… You know that it was an emergency situation. Don’t hold it against her!’

‘She’s a predator. The lot of them are. You think that she’ll make you immortal, but you are nothing to her. Just a sack of blood – some cheap body! _Merde_! Why can’t you realize this? We are food to them.’

‘Maybe, but she’s been good to me. She respects me. And you?! You clearly don’t. You come in here, just to accuse me?! You’re the one to talk! We both know why you are here.’

‘I just wish I understood what you see in her. What Angelique saw in her. She’s a beast.’

‘This is not about choices. This is not about you or her. A vampire and drone relationship is something special. You know what it’s like – the erotics of the bite, the respect for the queen, the promise of immortality. And if you keep disrespecting our mistress, it will be a long time before your debt is paid. She wants to see you grovel.’

Madame Lefoux pretend not to care and smiled. ‘I know, but I really can’t give her the satisfaction.’

‘I understand, but that stubbornness will leave you here for all eternity.’

‘I wouldn’t mind, not with you around.’

Mabel blushed a bit. ‘Stop it, Genevieve,’ she whispered. ‘You know that the countess noticed…’

‘I don’t particularly care…’

‘Genevieve…. I… It’s not just the countess. I don’t want to be…. I don’t want to be just some sort of... cheap revenge for Angelique. Do you understand?’

‘Oh, that’s rich. Like I’d still try to get back at Nadasdy? No, I ran into her house with a giant octopus once so I’d like to think that we’re nearly even.’

‘Well… I’m not sure. I’m not sure if you really like me or if I am just a reminder of that housekeep that you loved. I don’t even know if I trust you.’

‘You can learn to trust me.’ Genevieve touched Mabel’s hand softly, who instantly withdrew hers.

‘I think it’s time you leave. Let me show you out.’

The door slammed behind Madame Lefoux before she knew it. Maybe she’d order some coffee and go to her workshop. Behind the door, she heard Mabel crying.


	2. Trinkets and Inventions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 in which Madame Lefoux invents things and Mabel experiences confusion

Madame Lefoux was a dandy. She chose her clothing carefully every day. Little details mattered to her - small patterns on the blouse, fine stitches. She paid attention to combinations too - daring matches of colors and rougher fabrics that covered softer ones. Her clothes gave her the confidence to court women, to act boldly like a man, and to engage in the hard sciences. They were practical too. Especially as she tinkered inside the hot aeronaut: the mechanical bumblebee. Wearing a big dress and being an inventor? She couldn’t imagine how to do it. The skirts and corsets would merely be an annoyance.

She wiped her forehead and looked at the design again. Genevieve unscrewed some bits and pieces. If she would position the circuits and cog wheels elsewhere, then maybe…

There was a knock on the compartment door. It couldn’t be Quesnel, since he was at school, enjoying higher education of a sorts that only immortal vampires had to offer. She opened the chamber and crawled out. The cold dampened her goggles and she removed them. Mabel looked at her. ‘I wanted to invite you to my play.’

‘Are you sure?’ It had been a long time since she’d seen Mabel perform. Two years, maybe?

‘Would I ask you if I wasn’t sure?’

‘Ah. Yes. Of course,’ stumbled Madame Lefoux. ‘It’s been a while since I had last been at the theater.’

‘I’m the lead. It wouldn’t be hard to miss me.’

‘I know. I mean, I know you are. It’s nice that you invite me.’

‘Here’s the card. Just… you know.’

‘Thank you,’ Madame Lefoux took the ticket and examined it.

‘I uhm…. I should get back to practicing my lines and then meet with my troup.’

‘You look better,’ Genevieve remarked. ‘Still a bit pale but…’

‘Nothing that a little grime won’t solve.’

‘Sure.’

‘How’s that… uhm… that thing progressing that you are working on?’

‘This is the aeronaut – it’ll be a small flying device but fast, really!’

‘It looks like a bug.’

‘Yes, that’s what it’s modeled after.’

‘Can I…?’

‘You want to look? Sure!’ Madame Lefoux felt proud. ‘Ladies first!’

After Mabel entered, they sat in the chamber. It was little bit snug. Madame Lefoux reached over Mabel to show her all the bits and pieces. She explained the important ones and Mabel seemed to understand. ‘So these controls are for steering, and that is an emergency break? And that’s the oil?’ she pointed at the correct bits.

‘Yes.’

Madame Lefoux leaned over her again. ‘And on these dials you’ll see the speed.’

‘Impressive.’

‘It’s far from done.’

Mabel leaned in a bit, across Madame Lefoux’s lap. ‘And if I would touch this lever…’

‘You would most likely drop some cargo or release the grapple hook.’

‘Really…?’

‘Really…’

Mabel sat quietly and moved her hand up Madame Lefoux’s knee. Then, Mabel rested her head on Lefoux’s shoulder a bit. Genevieve was confused. First the lady wanted to fight, now she wanted to make amends and cuddle. She gently touched Mabel’s hair but felt that she shouldn’t push it. ‘Is… is something wrong, Mabel?’

‘The countess wouldn’t sleep with me tonight. She had another drone – black hair, full of life and blood… I am getting older, Genevieve… What if she never makes me immortal? What if I’ll die….’

‘We all die.’

Mabel patted her Genevieve’s knee softly. ‘I don’t want to think about it. I want more time. I need more time. I want to travel the world, you know… I want to be famous and travel outside of England. I want to see things… I want to make sure… that this isn’t it.’

‘I understand.’ She moved her hand across Mabel’s back. ‘But darling, you can’t be afraid. We all want to reach our goals in life. And we all have these fears, but you shouldn’t let it get to you.’

‘I would give my life for the countess and she just…’

‘They get new drones all the time. It’s what they do. She needs excitement and new experiences. She would never let you go. You’ve been her favorite for years. You told me so, remember? And I see it myself. She looks at you so much more fondly than all the others. And she sleeps with you a lot more. She likes you.’

‘Then why did she desire this other girl…’

‘She knows that you have a show tonight. She knows that you were drained… that she asked too much of you. She’ll make amends soon.’

‘Nadasdy is coming to the play tonight.’

‘And afterwards, as much as it pains me, she’ll visit you. Don’t worry about it. You’re our diva, our star. You’ll be smashing.’ She squeezed Mabel in the waist. ‘You’ll be so smashing, darling.’

‘Of course, yes, you are right,’ Mabel mumbled. ‘I guess I shouldn’t worry.’

‘You are the well-known miss Dair. A beautiful and special person, with many fans and a great repertoire.’

‘Yes.’

‘Nadasdy will miss you, I’m sure.’

Miss Dair leaned towards Madame Lefoux again. Genevieve smelled lavender and closed her eyes. ‘You should go, Mabel.’

‘I know.’

‘And you should think about what you want, Mabel. You confuse me.’

‘Likewise.’

‘Let’s go outside,’ Madame Lefoux opened the hatch. Mabel went outside and stretched her arms. The chamber had been small and warm. Genevieve noticed the blush on her cheeks and the tiny drops of sweat above her corset.

‘You should change and go to the theater,’ she suggested.

‘I know,’ Mabel replied. ‘I’m not in a hurry. See you tonight.’ She waved. Did Madame Lefoux just imagine that wink? Was Mabel flirting with her? Wishful thinking, perhaps. She fixed her tool belt and got back to her invention.


	3. Dramatic Discourses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 in which Ivy Tunstell makes unexpected appearances, Mabel performs a long monologue and Madame Lefoux has a smoke.

The theater was impressive: chandeliers, fancy chairs and big balconies. Madame Lefoux was overwhelmed. She felt insecure and rearranged her bowtie. For the occasion, she had dressed up in a dark blue suit with a light blouse underneath it. Her red bowtie added some color. A cane and top hat completed her attire. There was no need to feel nervous, she told herself, as she walked up to the isle and found her seat.

She wondered whether Alexia would be here. Several weeks ago, she had bumped into her at a small theater in West End. Now, she only heard a very familiar chipper voice several rows in front of her. Ivy Tunstell was not in the play but that did not hinder her from being in the audience. Bright and bubbly, she chatted away with her husband. Of course, Ivy had been good friends with her fellow-actress Miss Dair for a while now. She frequented Nadasdy’s palace almost as much as Mabel did. Ivy was not a drone – well, not yet at least – but she enjoyed the company of the elegant vampires and their high society.

Madame Lefoux got the impression that Alexia often thought of her dear friend Ivy as just a simpleton. Genevieve herself rather liked the girl. She had good intentions, clear ambitions and really loved her husband and children. Ivy struck her as a warm person and a gentle soul. She was enthusiastic too. Her sense of fashion was not that impeccable, of course, but she did set a new trend with those delightful earmuffs. Ever since Genevieve had let Ivy take care of her shop, she had been pleased. The place had not been burned down and the hats had sold well.

No, she did not wish Ivy any harm. In fact, she was concerned that Ivy was visiting the hive often. This girl had potential as a comedic actress and she had a family. Nadasdy’s court was not the place to be for her. The vampires might be charming, but if you could look past the elegance and extravaganza, you saw only vile predators.

Still in thought, Madame Lefoux inspected her blazer for the opera glasses that she had brought. Even though she was not sitting on the balcony, the glasses never hurt. They were convenient, but they also made a statement and expressed interest in the performance. While she was cleaning them, Ivy looked backwards to see who else was in the theater. She started waving to several people and then excitedly greeted Madame Lefoux by screaming: ‘Madame Lefoux, Madame Lefoux!’ Genevieve returned her waves with a smile and by tipping her hat. She would meet with Ivy after the show, perhaps.

Then the show started. The plot was an epic drama of sorts, set in Italy during the Renaissance. Madame Lefoux tried to pay attention, but she was thinking of Mabel and their little encounter in her small prototype earlier that day. Should she have been fiercer? Would Mabel have accepted a kiss?

A woman walked on the stage. All the actors seemed to fade to Genevieve and she forgot about the story altogether. On the stage – she knew it at once! – was the most beautiful woman that she had ever seen. Mabel wore a long white dress. It was simple and flattering. The costume was a night gown, Madame Lefoux noted, based on her knowledge of Italian couture. Mabel’s make-up was lighter than Genevieve had ever seen it. She looked pale and vulnerable. Her eyes glistened and her lips were painted red. Madame Lefoux wanted her more than anything. When Mabel started to talk, there was a silence in the theater. Her monologue was melancholic and captivating. Genevieve was carried away by her voice so deeply, that she could not reflect on the words or the plot. She only saw Mabel and something hurt. Her heart felt sore.

That woman in the spotlight had a ghostly presence. Madame Lefoux thought of Angelique – her former lover – who she had never said goodbye to. Miss Dair was like Angelique in many ways, but she was fiercer and stood her ground. Her beautiful Angelique had never really figured out what she wanted. Angelique, looking back at it, had never really been happy with herself or others. She had also never been comfortable with their “little secret” and had wanted to erase part of her life – her son and eventually Genevieve too. Nadasdy had offered options – a way out.

Was Mabel running too? Perhaps not. There was something dark about Mabel though. Genevieve could not quite grasp it. Mabel was drawn to Nadasdy like a moth to a flame. It made her even more vulnerable and interesting to Genevieve.

The monologue ended and Miss Dair joined the ensemble. The remaining two hours were spent with a dense story. The plot leaned heavily on a crime in Florence and the argument between two families. Mabel’s character died in the end because of complex misunderstanding involving lost letters, a diabolical sister and a treacherous lover. The audience – especially Ivy Tunstell – was quite affected by her tragic murder.

After the show, Madame Lefoux had a drink in the lobby and Ivy Tunstell joined her immediately. ‘Wasn’t that wonderful, Madame Lefoux?! That ending! I never saw it coming. Such intrigue!’

‘It was beautiful, yes. Quite the tragedy,’ Madame Lefoux nodded. She had brought some thin cigars for the occasion. She would have offered Ivy one, but women were not supposed to smoke these things. Some of the guests looked at Madame Lefoux disapprovingly as she lit the cigar. Women were only supposed to smoke cigarettes. ‘They are from Italy, you know,’ she said drily to Ivy. ‘I’m just trying to stay immersed in that beautiful play for a little while longer.’

‘Oh, really?’ Ivy said, her eyes wide. Madame Lefoux was quite pleased with the taste of the cigar. ‘Yes, really,’ she said, after exhaling.

‘Miss Dair was beautiful. She certain gave a grand performance! What I wouldn’t give to perform a monologue like that.’ Madame Lefoux envisioned Ivy, delivering the very same dramatic monologue. She really hoped that the audience would be spared such an exotic display.

‘You have your own fortes,’ Genevieve said carefully. ‘Your modern play was so unique and your performance has always been praised for its innovation. You play comedy and surrealism well. I am not sure whether such a traditional part would suit you.’

‘You are right, Madame Lefoux. It would be beneath my standards.’

‘Yes. You would be selling yourself short,’ Madame Lefoux added drily.

‘Of course the countess cannot join this soiree,’ Ivy Tunstell pondered.

‘She is a vampire, yes,´ Madame Lefoux nodded. ´They cannot leave the house. It´s a matter of physiology, really. Quite fascinating.´

While Ivy chatted away, Genevieve smoked quietly. She sipped her wine and waited for a sign of Mabel. Some of the actors were already out of costume. They had dressed in their evening gowns and suits, and mingled with the audience. Madame Lefoux became impatient. She needed to see Mabel. She wanted to know if she was alright. She wanted to praise her and shake her hand just so she could touch her for a second.

‘Ah, there she is,’ Ivy finally cried out, immediately bouncing away. The little ball of energy clutched to Miss Dair. ‘You were absolutely enthralling, so gorgeous, and that monologue, so amazing, why I never -!’ Ivy rambled to Miss Dair and then she took her to Madame Lefoux. ‘We were both so amazed. We said: ‘Why, dear old Miss Dair, who would have thought?! I’m sure that the critics – ah, Madame Lefoux!’

Madame Lefoux put out her cigar and blew away the last smoke. She glanced sideways to Mabel and smiled lightly. _Keep your cool_ , _Genevieve_ , she said to herself. She got up gently. ‘Enchanté, mademoiselle,’ she said, bowing. She took Mabel’s hand and kissed it lightly. ‘Your performance was stellar. Very touching.’

‘Thank you, Madame Lefoux,’ Miss Dair replied. Genevieve noted that she was blushing. ‘I am glad that you enjoyed it.’

‘Quite so. I really should visit the theater more often but well, you know me…’

‘You’re always so busy with your inventions and projects, with attending saloons and debates and meetings…’

‘You got me.’

‘It’s alright. I am happy that you got a chance to see the play.’

‘Could I offer you a drink?’

‘Not really. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me for a minute, Madame Lefoux. I was thinking of going outside. Some air would do me good.’

‘Of course.’ She offered Mabel her arm and the actress accepted. They walked outside together, leaving Ivy Turnstell with the other actors and her husband.

Outside, they were both quiet. Mabel wore a purple dress with a tight corset. She stared at the sky. ‘The stars look beautiful tonight, don’t they?’ Her blonde curls fell her bosom. ‘They do,’ Madame Lefoux agreed, but she only looked at Mabel and smiled. Mabel noticed and blushed again. ‘You are so pretty, Mabel,’ Madame Lefoux said. ‘I’m so glad that I can be here with you tonight. It makes me really happy.’

‘Me too,’ Mabel admitted softly. ‘You look absolutely stunning tonight.’

‘Why thank you.’

‘I know what I want now, Genevieve. I thought about it and when I saw you just now, I know. I’ve known for a long time. You are perfect, you know. You might just be one of the best people that I know. The way that you care about that boy. The way that you keep looking over me… You have to understand though… I have an agreement with Nadasdy. I’m her girl. I can’t…’

‘I understand.’

‘You do? Well, I wish… I wish it wasn’t so.’

‘I will always protect you when you need it, Mabel. And I’m here for you. I’m not sure, but being a drone strikes me as different than having a lover. Nadasdy has different girls. You and I are part of her court, but I don’t think we are anything special to her. Not in the long run, at least. I’m not sure if you owe her anything at all, really.’

Mabel was silent. ‘Maybe… Look, I really like you…’

‘Then at least let me thank you for this wonderful evening.’

‘Genevieve…’

Mabel, can I…?’

‘I… I… Well…’ Mabel looked around, and then grabbed Madame Lefoux’s hand and guided her to the alley where the back entrance of the theater was located. It was abandoned. They heard the voices of the actors and guests who were meeting in the lobby. Mabel looked up into Madame Lefoux’s eyes. ‘I guess… she doesn’t have to know.’

‘No, she doesn’t. And you are not her lover, just her drone. You owe her nothing. She doesn’t owe you anything either.’

‘She is kind, though. Sometimes.’

‘Sometime,´ Genevieve repeated, but it sounded like a sneer. ´Look… if this isn’t what you want…’ She touched Mabel’s cheek. ‘I don’t want to push you into doing anything. I don’t want you to have regrets.’

‘I understand. I wouldn’t regret it. I’m just afraid I might… that there’ll be no going back.’

‘I see.’

Mabel moved a bit closer to Madame Lefoux. ‘No one will know.’

‘No one, baby. It will be our secret if that’s what you want.’

Madame Lefoux kissed Mabel – the first time soft and patiently, the second time greedily. She felt like she was burning. Through her eyelashes, she saw Mabel’s closed blue eyes and pale skin. She moved her hands to Mabel’s hips and pulled her closer. The many layers of the dress were inconvenient but luckily, Madame Lefoux was good with her hands. She slowly touched the tip of Mabel’s tongue with her own and then moved sideways, exploring the softness of her mouth. Mabel moaned. Genevieve – barely able to breath – touched Mabel’s neck and ears. Mabel muttered ‘stop it, stop it,’ when Genevieve stroked her neck and nibbled on her ears. ‘Should I really stop?’ she whispered in her ear. ‘No, yes, no. I…’

‘Tell me what you want.’

‘I am confused…’ Mabel whispered. ‘I know what I want from you but I’m afraid. The countess doesn’t like sharing, Genevieve. We should let it rest. Until I’ve gotten her permission…’

‘Is she really this dominant?’

‘You have no idea.’ Mabel rested her head on Genevieve’s bosom. If she had listened intently, she would have heard the quick beating of her heart. ‘You really have no idea…’


	4. Secrets and Sensibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the queen is not amused and there is some kink

Warning: Submission/bondage

 

Nadasdy’s nickname was the blood Countess. It had been so for many years. She had tortured girls in the past and had sucked them dry. As a young vampire, she had been intolerably cruel. Now that she had matured, she had learned to control some of her passions through experience and skill. Deep down, there was still something aggressive about her though. Her craving for blood was strong. She still preferred young women - virgins and lesbians who had never been touched by men. As queen of the Westminister Hive - now relocated in Woolsey Castle -  Nadasdy was a fierce ruler.

Few individuals still remembered Nadasdy’s real name, but Mabel was one of them.

When the countess heard that Mabel had been spotted in an intimate embrace with Madame Lefoux, she called Mabel to her court. Then she smacked her.

Mabel immediately understood. Her cheek burned and her eyes were swollen with tears. ‘Elizabeth, please… I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you… It’s just that I’m not sure what you want from me.’

‘You are my favorite, my pet. I had made this clear, didn’t I? We have a little routine, don’t we? And I told you: I prefer your blood.’

‘But you have new girls here all the time. This is a court! I didn’t know that we were in a monogamous relationship.’

‘I am not, but you are, pet. I want respect. How can I get respect you, or even crave for you, when I know that you fuck my other drones?’

Mabel cried out: ‘We didn’t even do anything. There was some touching but nothing inappropriate. We really weren’t that intimate.’

‘I don’t care. I heard enough from my trustworthy drones to know that you are lying.’

Mabel got upset. ‘You don’t own me! You can’t tell me what to do. You have all sorts of beaus. Why can’t I love someone?’

‘Love?!’ The countess laughed. ‘Love…What do you know about love, young mortal?’

Mabel looked down angrily. Nadasdy rose her voice: ‘I’m a queen and immortal. We do not abide by your rules, miss Dair. And you must not forget - as long as you are in my hive, I am your mistress,’ Nadasdy said. Her voice became more fierce. ‘And who are you to address me like this? Have you no shame?’

Mabel bowed. ‘I am sorry, my queen.’

‘Did you forget who I am? Did you forget what I could do to you, mortal, when you displease me?! You abide by my rules. As long as you are under my roof, you do not sleep with anyone without my permission. And if you want to fuck someone, you can do it in your own house and stay out of my sight.’

Nadasdy walked up and down the room slowly. ‘Did you hear me?’

‘I did, mistress.’

‘Get up. You are coming to my room.’

‘Yes, mistress.’

They walked down the hallway and entered Nadasdy’s luxurious bedroom with several beds, sofas, outrageous curtains and flowery pillows. Nadasdy nudged miss Dair to her bed. At first, Mabel thought that she would be undressed. The queen had the habit of undressing her carefully and often asked her to wear special jewelry and thin nightgowns. Today, the queen stood before her fiercely. ‘Undress yourself.’

Miss Dair quietly did as she was told. Nadasdy examined her closely as she started to get out of her skirt and finally, her undergarments. ‘You can leave the corset and stockings, but that’s it,’ Nadasdy commented, as she said on the bed, looking pleased.

Miss Dair, finally, looked down at the queen shyly. ‘That’s my girl. Now you know what I want.’ The queen got up. ‘It’s not the first time that we’ve played this game, is it, love?’

‘No,’ miss Dair said, but this didn’t seem as playful as the other times that the countess had dominated her.

‘Put your arms on the bed,’ the queen commanded. The four-poster bed was beautiful and Mabel had slept there many times. It could be used for other purposes as well.

‘Hands on the column. Grab it. Good girl.’ Nadasdy moved behind Mabel and suddenly stood before her with a robe. She started to tie Miss Dair’s hands together fiercely. Her wrists touched each other. The knot was complicated but Nadasdy tied it effortlessly. The countess tightened the knot perfectly, pulling until it hurt and would leave marks, but didn’t stop the blood circulation.

‘There we go, pet,’ she whispered. She moved behind Miss Dair again, stroking her back, hips, and finally her bare bottom. Miss Dair’s knickers and garments were spread all over the floor in heaps of clothing. Nadasdy kicked them aside as she groped Mabel. ‘Miss Dair, you know that you have been bad and that you deserve to be humiliated?’

‘I do.’

‘Good…’ Nadasdy moved backwards and grabbed one of the necklaces that she had often draped around Mabel’s neck. The beautiful white pearls were not visible to Mabel, who stared at the bed and nothing else. Nadasdy used the pearls to stroke the blonde’s legs. Miss Dair moaned softly. Nadasdy laughed and lashed the necklace across Mabel’s bottom. It hurt like hell. She waited a second, then lashed out again. Mabel flinched and tears sprang from her eyes.

‘That’s just the beginning, miss Dair,’ Nadasdy whispered, and she pulled back Mabel’s blonde curls roughly. ‘Stay fit.’

She lashed out again. The pearls started to form red lines on Dair’s soft white skin. Again. More lines. Nadasdy waited for a minute, paced around the room like a predator. She gave Mabel some time to calm down. She then stroked her bottom softly. ‘Hang on. We are not done. Do you want more?’

‘Yes, mistress.’

‘I am not here to satisfy you.’ The queen touched Mabel from behind and pulled back her hair again. ‘You are cattle. Do you hear me?’

‘I am cattle.’

‘That’s my girl.’ Nadasdy lashed out again. ‘I’ll make sure you don’t bleed too much. That would be a waste.’ Mabel felt the pears hit her again and again. She started to feel feint. The pain was numbing her. Nadasdy’s whipping had long intermezzo’s at first. Every minute, a blow came when Mabel least expected it. The whipping was soft at first but got harder and faster over time.

Nadasdy was silent. She lashed the pearls on the inside of Mabel’s legs a final time and then used them to stroke her breasts.

Mabel felt the tears on her cheeks and was biting her lip. Her head was cloudy. The pain had worn her out and she thought that she would faint.

‘Stay here,’ Nadasdy commanded, as she stroked the inside of Mabel’s legs. ‘Be a good girl. Come on, Mabel.’

‘Yes, my queen.’

Nadasdy licked Mabel’s neck and then her spine. Finally, her mouth was near Mabel’s bottom. Nadasdy started to nibble on Mabel’s genitals but not for long. She started to show fang and scraped the inside of Miss Dair’s legs. She stopped at the vein and sunk in her teeth. Mabel felt her blood soaring through her body. Everything hurt and now the last bits of her were sucked out. She moaned heavily and wasn’t sure if she could stay awake.

Nadasdy sucked slowly but passionately. Her bite wasn’t nasty but warm. Miss Dair felt oddly sensual in all this pain, oddly calm. She didn’t even realize that the queen had stopped sucking and had released her teeth. Nadasdy’s fingers slowly entered Miss Dair’s vagina and she started to move them hard. Mabel came within minutes.

‘It usually takes you a bit longer,’ Nadasdy remarked, as she licked her fingers.

Mabel panted. Her butt hurt and she wasn’t feeling well. Her hands moved down the column and she sank to her knees. Her arms were stretched and her boobs touched the bed. Nadasdy – still dressed and statuesque – played with Miss Dair’s nipples.

‘Oh, my poor kitten... Do you need to rest already? You are so wet.’

Miss Dair – pale – saw the blood drip down her legs. Nadasdy got some bandages from her nightstand and carefully wrapped them around the small wound. ‘It’s the best vein,’ she whispered. ‘But very delicate.’ Mabel did not respond until Nadasdy smacked her across the bottom. The pain was overwhelming. ‘Stay awake!’

Mabel could feel her body shaking and thought of Genevieve. How hurt she would be to see her like this; how upset she would be to see her humiliated and smacked. She did not understand their ways. Genevieve might be queer, but she loved dearly and warmly and without complexity.

‘Please, my queen, please.’

‘Please, what?!’

‘Please touch me again… I’m burning.’ Nadasdy smacked Mabel carefully and slowly, several times, and penetrated her with three fingers. She moved rapidly. Mabel cried and finally came.

‘You know you want this. You are not normal. No one can please you like I do. You want my bites. And you want this. How could you ever settle for something sweet? You are fascinated by mystery, domination… death.’

‘Yes, yes,’ Mabel moaned.

The queen got up while Mabel dizzily looked at the floor.

‘I think you had enough, drone.’

‘Only if you had enough… mistress….’

‘Get up.’ Mabel couldn’t get up, so Nadasdy had to help her and then kindly put her in the big four-poster bed. When she saw how pale Mabel looked, she genuinely seemed to care about her for a minute. She worried.

‘I’ll join you.’

Nadasdy got undressed and Mabel – sore everywhere – tried to close her eyes but failed. She saw Nadasdy’s silhouette in the dark, removing layers of clothing. Nadasdy was pudgy but pretty. Her breasts were big and her body was warm. She crawled in the bed next to Mabel and touched her gently. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes.’

‘Don’t ever hurt me again, Miss Dair.’

‘I’ll try.’ She rested her head on Nadasdy’s breasts. ‘I promise.’

‘That’s my girl.’ Nadasdy kissed her on the head and stroked her blonde curls. ‘Now sleep.’


	5. Tea and Toast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Madame Lefoux suffers from insomnia and the drones and vampires have a delightfully awkward breakfast.

In the early morning, Genevieve was still very much awake. She sat upright on her bed and had trouble sleeping. The bed felt too big for her and the room too empty. Even though she had lit some candles, the darkness bothered her. Still, the problem wasn´t the room, not really. She had kissed Mabel several nights ago and the blonde had enjoyed it very much. Mabel had been shy at first but had gradually shown a more persistent side of herself, a side that Madame Lefoux had enjoyed. Eventually Mabel had gone back into the theater to join the other actors.

Madame Lefoux had returned to Woolsey Castle by herself and had felt, for the first time in years, that her life was heading somewhere. She had dreamt of their life together - a quiet life without Nadasdy or anyone else interfering. When she woke up, there was no sign of Mabel, nor the next days. The drones had told her that Mabel had arrived two days ago, but she had not seen her. Genevieve had knocked on the door of Mabel’s room several times, and at different hours, but she hadn’t gotten any response. Now she felt doubt. She was afraid that Miss Dair didn’t want to be courted by her. Mabel had insisted that she needed Nadasdy’s permission. The situation seemed darker than Genevieve had expected. Madame Lefoux could not help but think of Angelique, the birthmother of her child. She did not linger on that thought for long. The idea that she saw something of Angelique’s in Mabel frightened her. She did not want to keep falling for the same women over and over. The kind of women who would eventually reject her for a vampire or werewolf.

In these wee small hours, she was doodling a prototype of a small invention. It was a mechanical part - a motor that she was designing for her pet project. The drawing didn’t progress well, since she could not fully concentrate. She got upset and the pencil broke. That was when she started to cry – and she had not cried for years! She hated being alone at night. Why did women always discard her in the end? Why were they drawn to her, but always afraid to commit to her? She couldn’t help but panic. Was there something wrong with her? Was she too mannish or deviant? Was she unworthy of being loved? She threw the plans aside.

Upset, she got undressed and examined her body in a mirror. There was so much wrong with it. She was getting thinner and thinner, for starters. In the hive, she often refused to eat. These predators annoyed her and she refused to be dependent on them. Now it started to show. Her skin was pale and she saw her bones. It was sickening, really. When she looked at her breasts and hips, she knew that there were other bits wrong, of course. She was afraid that was why women fell in love with her, but never quite _loved_ her. Often, she wished that she had just been born a man. She would have probably liked herself more and it would have made more sense. Things would have been better. If only she could have offered Mabel that: a secure household, a marriage, a loving body. She touched her breasts for a minute but it felt wrong. She did not want to hate her body – it was just that some parts of did not feel right.

Gloomily, she put on some clothes and decided to walk to her workshop. Looking at the inventions always made her feel better and gave her some sense of purpose. If she focused on the good aspects of her life – Quesnel, the machines, Mabel – she could feel better. She was not a gloomy person, not at heart at least. Angelique had always enjoyed her kind nature and her aunt had always told her that she had a big heart. How could someone with such a big heart, she often asked herself, love herself so little? For the past years, she had been quite confident of herself. She had made a nice home. Angelique’s death and eventual exorcism had been the beginning of her demise. Quesnel’s kidnapping had been the tipping point. That was when she realized that she was much darker than she had believed herself to be. Sadly, she had not succeeded in assassinating the queen and was now only shamed by that horrible woman. Moving into the hive had been the point where she had really started to loath herself.

Now she was getting by with the least amount of food. Self-deprivation was her means of sobering up as well as a way of punishing herself. Perhaps this late hour would be a good time to go into the kitchen unnoticed and get some treacle tart? She cherished the thought for a minute, but decided it would be another victory for the vampires, and she would not have it. She strolled through Woolsey Castle and entered her workshop. The smell of oil calmed her down, as did the sight of her new invention. She worked comfortably on it until sunrise and tried to be distracted. Supposedly, Mabel had already returned to the castle late last night. She had heard this from Dr. Caedes, but had seen no sign of her. What would Mabel say if she knocked on her door at this hour? Would she be pleased, maybe even aroused? Or would she act dramatic again? The woman was utterly complex.

Sitting down on an old invention - a large engine that she’d been taking apart - she wondered what it was that Mabel desired about Nadasdy. Some people, apparently, liked to be bossed around. Nadasdy made her feel wanted, _needed_ even. Genevieve wondered what she could offer Mabel, a woman who was so fascinated by the extraordinary. If only she could invent something that would really excite her. She needed to impress Mabel. Pondering these things, Genevieve started to clean small tools and tidbits in her workshop until the sun rose.

 

*

Breakfast was awkward. As per usual, Madame Lefoux was unimpressed by what the English served as coffee, and slightly offended by their beans and eggs. Why couldn’t these people have a normal, healthy breakfast? Were a couple of croissants too much to ask for? The vampires and several drones were seated at a long table. Countess Nadasdy, Dr. Caedes and Lord Ambrose were quietly sipping from their glasses of blood, while they watched their beloved drones eat. Madame Lefoux was still not very fond of eating and by means of protest, she only had a piece of toast on her plate. She tore it extensively and only ate a couple of crumbs slowly.

‘You have to eat more,’ Dr. Caedes insisted. ‘I told you this before. It will not only damage your health, it will also foul your blood.’

‘That’s exactly what I want.’

‘If you really hate being here, you can also just leave,’ Lord Ambrose said, dabbing some blood from the corner of his mouth with a napkin. ‘We all understand that you do not want to be here. It’s been years. The boy is nearly sixteen. Just go back to your workshop in London and enjoy yourself.’

‘As much as I’d love to, I won’t leave him with you,’ Madame Lefoux said.

‘If you really want to protect him,’ Caedes remarked, ‘you have to stay healthy. Naturally, it is your choice, but you take such pride in being here for the boy.´

Madame Lefoux sighed. She scooped some beans and ate them slowly. She understood their concerns, but it felt wrong.

     For the first time in days, Mabel arrived at the breakfast table again. Though she looked clean and beautiful, dressed in a neat blue corset and white skirt, her eyes were dark and tired. Madame Lefoux was happy to see her.

Mabel curtsied before Nadasdy. ‘I apologize for being late, mistress.’

‘Don’t worry, my pet. You needed your sleep.’

‘Yes, mistress.’

Mabel sat down on the left of Nadasdy. The maid poured her some tea and added milk. ‘It was a terribly busy week, with all the performances and rehearsals. I am so exhausted.’

‘Did it go well?’

‘Very! I gave the performance of a life time.’ Mabel’s eyes sparkled for a moment and she added some dramatic gestures. ‘Everyone was impressed by my monologue! My fans were so pleased, and I got many flowers and compliments.’

‘You must have been dazzling, darling,’ Lord Ambrose remarked dryly.

‘Several men proposed to me, Lord Ambrose.’

‘And I’m sure that you turned them all down again, you old spinster,’ he replied.

Genevieve smiled at Mabel, who paid her little heed and mostly rambled about her performance to the vampires. When she started to eat her eggs and toast, Genevieve peeked at the black circles under her eyes. Mabel´s eyes were glassy. She raised her hands, holding her tea cup in the proper way. Her sleeves fell down a bit and revealed her wrists. They looked terrible – all covered with red stripes and bruises.

Genevieve jumped up and ran towards her. ‘Mabel, are you alright?’ she asked, worrying. ‘Doctor, you should look at her wrists! What happened? Who did this to you?’

‘You shouldn’t have seen that.’ She stopped pouring the tea and smiled, forever an actress. ‘I’m sorry. It’s nothing really. I hurt myself a bit when I got into the other costume yesterday. I was wearing these bracelets and they were tight – you remember the ones.’

‘It’s okay,’ Dr. Caedes said, without even looking at Mabel. ‘Nothing that I haven’t seen before. She’ll be alright in a jiffy. Human skin is quite resilient.’

‘You need to give her something,’ Genevieve insisted.

‘You are quite protective of my drone,’ Nadasdy commented, glaring at Genevieve. ‘I told you – I will have none of that. We take care of her. We know the boundaries. She has been here for years and we stop when she wants to. We are professionals.’

‘You are animals,’ Genevieve shouted. ‘And you should help her.’

‘It is quite alright,’ Mabel muttered. ‘Leave it be.’

‘Did you do this to her?’

‘Lord Ambrose, Dr. Caedes, kindly bring this woman to her room.’

‘Yes, countess.’ The two men escorted Madame Lefoux in a persistent way. She was raging on and eventually resorted to cursing in French.

Dr. Caedes lingered for a moment in Madame Lefoux’ room. He touched her doodles in a light manner, almost as if he was looking for dust. He seemed intrigued by them.

‘Sit down on the bed,’ he said.

She started to protest again. ‘I said sit. I want you to understand something.’

‘Alright, alright,’ she sat down on her fresh sheets. The maid had cleaned the room early.

‘Miss Dair has been here a long time. Nadasdy takes care of her. Whether or not you understand their relationship does not matter. This is what Miss Dair wants. If you love her, please respect her choices.’

‘But that’s it – how can I just see her get abused? How can I sit here every day and just live with this? She’s beautiful and eccentric and smart – why does she…?’

‘For exactly those reasons that you mention. Listen, some people play the game rough.’

‘The game?’

‘The game. We have lived for centuries. We want entertainment. To feel pleasure, we need to go far.’

‘I really don’t understand – are you talking about sexual intercourse?’

‘It’s more than that. It’s a hunt, the thrill of the chase, of living. It’s the same to us, really. Mabel is a good drone who enjoys pain and understands that more pain leads to greater pleasure. She keeps the queen on her toes. She is perfect.’

Madame Lefoux fell down on the bed and sighed.

‘Listen, you really don’t want to get into this.’

‘I think that this is unsafe for her. I don’t want her to get hurt.’

‘There are always risks. We enjoy them and I’m sorry that you do not.’

‘Look, doctor, I just want to understand this.’

‘I think you could very well understand it. You seem very deviant yourself. It seems to me that you think about love in a very narrow and caring way. Love also means testing your partner. Going further. Nadasdy loves Miss Dair but she does not express it like you would. She pushes her. She hurts her. Then she heals her. This is how some of us love and I’m sorry that it isn’t to your liking.’

‘I want her to feel well. I want her to be safe.

‘That isn’t up to you. Miss Dair is a consenting adult who serves our queen. She’s the only one who can make this decision. I can assure you that she is not being abused in any way. This is what she asked for. This is what they agreed upon. And when it goes too far, they have rules.’

‘I hear you. Maybe I do understand. On some level.’

‘That’s right. Now just keep it down with the flirting and teasing. The countess is not upset. Your behavior amuses her. She’s seen many things in her life and you brighten up the place. Just don’t forget – you don’t want to get on her bad side.’ He beamed down at Madame Lefoux before he left. After he closed the door, she threw a pillow at it - _bloody vampires_.


	6. Fuzz and Fashionata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Madame Lefoux's keen fashion sense is finally put to good use for evil purposes

Author's note: Incidentally, the fic is named after this song, covered by the French-Jewish Yael Naim. She has a perfect accent that always makes me want to work on this fic.

Nadasdy ran her household well. The hive house consisted of a great deal of staff, maids and drones. Delivery boys went in and out, and everyone was always provided for. The queen herself was proud of the castle and made sure that it shone in every way. During the day, Madame Lefoux saw the servants dusting off the furniture, the maids preparing foods and the delivery boys popping in and out of the vicinity. Life in the hive was proper and animated.

While Genevieve had grown up surrounded by the grinding of mechanicals, and the buzzing of her aunt’s inventions, the hive sported very few technologies. Nadasdy only allowed actual people, made of flesh and blood. The rumor was that she was old-fashioned and that technology was a source of alarm to her. Genevieve liked to think that the reason was deeper. As a vampire, Nadasdy presumably loved to be surrounded by the smell of blood and flesh. The house was a well-adapted and luxurious prison that contained her food. Anything else would be a source of hindrance.

Nadasdy’s disgust was the primary reason that she had never visited Madame Lefoux’s workshop in the basement of the hive house. The inventor was surprised that the queen allowed her to work at any inventions in the house at all. Perhaps this was in Nadasdy’s best interest too. As a queen, she had to keep her preys safe and cared for. She nurtured them, fully aware of the fact that that they were her primary food source. While the roves could go out for a bite, she was a queen bee who could never leave the house. In a way, Genevieve felt sorry for Nadasdy. Though Madame Lefoux often felt trapped, she could leave the house and choose freedom. Nadasdy would be locked in these walls, unless she would swarm again, but that process – as they knew by now – was delicate.

The fact that Nadasdy left her alone, was a great advantage to Genevieve. She could work on her little projects right under Nadasdy’s nose. This gave her a sense of confidence and wicked pleasure. When Madame Lefoux exited her workshop, smudged with oil and grease, she felt that she could take on the world. She’d been working on some interesting ideas that could possibly advance the valves used in air travel. Perhaps she should write a letter to a colleague at OBO and inform him of her plans.

She passed a delivery boy on his way to the kitchen. Quietly, she stole an apple from his basket when he stared at a gorgeous maid. She had her little ways of going about unnoticed – a skill that she had acquired ages ago. It was still two hours until dinner, and she fancied a bite. She polished the apple a bit while she was walking, and nearly bumped into Miss Dair. She was in a hurry, presumably on her way out. Madame Lefoux knew this because she wore a travelling cape and underneath it, a tight bodice, long gloves and very elaborate skirt.

‘I beg your pardon,’ Genevieve said.

Mabel looked annoyed. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

‘Wait a minute,’ Madame Lefoux halted her.

‘What is it, Genevieve?’ she asked impatiently.

Genevieve examined Mabel skeptically. ‘‘Those light-blue gloves and that dark necklace. It’s messy. And is that the only bodice that you have? It might be a tad too white, wouldn’t you say so?’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You usually have a good eye for fashion. Did you dress in a hurry? Has something been bothering you?’

‘Don’t be rude,’ Mabel said.

‘Can I help you with your outfit?’ Madame Lefoux said, more politely. ‘If you are going out, you need to look your best. You’re an actress after all.’

‘You are covered in grease,’ Miss Dair protested. ‘And you are wearing… whatever those are,’ gesturing at Lefoux’s working attire. ‘I wouldn’t even let you touch my clothing!’

‘I can freshen up quickly. Why don’t you pick some of your finest clothing and I’ll help you?’

‘Genevieve, I don’t have the time for this.’

‘Oh, I still have an excellent hat that might go with your skirts. Let me just fetch it.’ The inventor, or better yet the hat maker extraordinaire, left the actress in the hallway. Mabel looked quite lost and then looked at her outfit, doubting herself. Upset, she walked to her room with loud, unladylike steps.

After washing herself, and changing outfits, Madame Lefoux dashed to her closet filled with hats. She was still tinkering on a couple of projects, but her productivity had steadily decreased now that she didn’t work in her store anymore. She loomed over a purple hat, a blue bowler that was the latest fashion in Germany, and a more flowery item. Finally, she settled on a grey hat and a green one that would go with the clothes just right. And then a red one and a black one.

She leapt into Mabel’s room, arms filled with hats.

‘So I was thinking, depending on the bodice that you choose, we might want to settle on either of these. Also, face paint. If you would go for a bold choice, this purple hat might…’

Mabel sat on the bed quietly. She had partly undressed herself and was surrounded by dresses.

‘Is something wrong?’ Genevieve asked, putting down the hats on a side-table. ‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘She drank too much again, didn’t she? You look pale. Let me get Dr. Caedes.’ The inventor moved towards the door.

‘No. That’s not it. Sit down please.’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I need to go to a meeting of sorts.’

‘Sure, what kind?’ The inventor inquired, sitting down on the bed next to her.

‘The Shadow Council.’

‘On behalf of Nadasdy?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is it about Egypt?’ Madame Lefoux asked.

‘Yes, it seems the situation is getting more complex and we need to stay informed.’

‘I understand. If you don’t mind my asking, isn’t it quite uncommon for you to run errands on her behalf?’

‘It is somewhat unusual,’ Mabel looked at one of the hats blankly. ‘Lord Ambrose usually handles these matters but he’s been quite busy. Today he’s at a meeting for the National Suffragette Movement with Felicity.’

‘Of course. And I have seen you deliver letters and contact the Muhjah various times.’

‘Exactly. I’m pretty good at delivering messages, especially secret ones. I have a variety of styles for those sorts of matters. But I have never presented the queen in this professional environment.’

‘But you did meet members of the Shadow Council before, and frequently. They have also been in this hive numerous times. Is this really what you are fretting up about?’

‘I guess not. Perhaps I’m just afraid that they disclose information that will harm vampire kind,’ Mabel muttered.

‘Let me help you. I will make sure that you come across lovely and even more confident,’ Madame Lefoux suggested.

 ‘Alright,’ Mabel whispered. ‘I guess I cannot think straight today.’

‘It is an honor to represent her. You have done this countless of times. Don’t worry. Let me see, where are those blue gloves that I’ve seen you wearing last week?’

‘Over here,’ she gestured.

‘And the golden earrings?’

‘Let me see. Here,’ Mabel accidentally bumped into Madame Lefoux when she opened her jewelry case.

‘I like the skirt. Very simple, nice trim, beautiful laces.’

‘It’s nice, but is it formal enough?’

‘Well, if you wear this corset and the purple bodice,´ Genevieve suggested. ´Try it. Come on.’

Mabel undressed herself until she was wearing nothing but her corset and two petticoats.

‘The corset seems a bit loose.’

‘It might be…’

‘Let me tighten it a bit.’ The inventor undid the knot and pulled hard, until Mabel gasped. ‘A little tighter then. Can you still breath?’

‘Somewhat. This will do nicely,’ Mabel nodded. Genevieve made a new knot and petted Mabel in the waist. ‘Seems a close fit.’ Mabel turned around, and indeed, her breasts looked perkier.

‘I like it,’ the inventor commented, looking away from Mabel’s bosom until she met her eyes. Mabel batted her eyelashes.

Madame Lefoux forgot that her hands still lingered on Mabel’s waist. She was surprised when the actress touched her hands softly and leaned in a bit. Finally, Mabel turned around and asked Madame Lefoux with a hoarse voice to undo the corset just a little bit. ‘I feel so hot,’ she whispered. Then she added. ‘Maybe it isn’t the corset…’ The inventor embraced her, but Mabel did not face her. Both of them could not see the pain in each other’s eyes. They remained like this for a long time until Madame Lefoux tightened her grip. The touch was so desperate that it made Mabel feel uncomfortable. Mabel finally touched her hands and removed them from her waist. She hesitated, inspecting them. Was there still grease on them? Did you she want to kiss them? Mabel, fascinated by the occult, trailed a line on her palm.

Genevieve was reminded of a time, long ago, when a woman had examined her future. What she had told her had been grim. What was it again? Something about how she would succeed in matters of the mind, but not matters of the heart. She had laughed back then. Now she knew better.

‘I don’t know that much about fortune telling,’ Mabel muttered, ‘but this is not a great prospect.’

‘In what ways?’

‘Feelings, life choices, good things… You are very ambitious and you love so hard. Maybe too hard? Do you have troubles letting go?’

‘Maybe, but I don’t believe in those matters. Tell me about your future.’   She touched one of the lines on Mabel’s hand.

‘That line is very short,’ she said, comment on her hand. ‘And it is one of the most important ones… That is why…’ She didn’t finish her thoughts.

 Madame Lefoux did not respond immediately. ‘…I guess that I understand why immortality attracts you.’

‘I also like the privileges of the hive.’

‘Even though being a drone might get you killed.’

‘Yes. I’ve seen many women get killed in the process. It’s fine by me. I don’t mind. The potential reward outweighs the price.’ She played with Genevieve’s hand a bit, tracing the shape of her fingers. This game lasted for several minutes in which they found comfort in tiny gestures and touches.

Finally Madame Lefoux got anxious. Whatever this was, it was heading nowhere fast. They could not be together, not until Mabel figured out what she wanted. Their messy decisions, this vampire culture, this terrible house – the crooked lines on their palms were a reflection of everything that was wrong.

Genevieve pulled away from Mabel and told herself to be strong.

‘We need to find you something to wear.’ The pair found a delightful ensemble with pretty yellow accessories.

‘Thank you,’ Mabel said, when Madame Lefoux put a necklace around her neck. They stared at each other in Mabel’s big mirror. Madame Lefoux rested her hands a on Mabel’s shoulder and smiled sadly. ‘Et voila, just look at you. _Tu est très jolie, ma belle._ My beautiful Mabel. Go get them.’

‘I should go. I’m running late. Genevieve… will you… could you put the clothes back in…?’

‘No problem.’

‘Thank you.’ She hesitated for a moment and then gave Madame Lefoux a quick kiss on the cheek.

When Mabel walked out, Madame Lefoux felt better. Once again, the world had profited from her keen fashion sense.

*

Mabel returned late at night. She undressed herself and got rid of the face paint until her face was clean. Her nightgown was blue and matched her eyes.

On the door, there was a small knock. Mabel opened it and let the inventor in. Apparently Madame Lefoux even wore pajamas in bed – how very masculine. Her dark hair was messy and her green eyes looked down, unfocussed. She looked pale.

‘Can I come in for a minute? I don’t…’

‘What’s the matter? Sit down!’ Mabel guided her to the bed, worried.

‘She took too much blood, I think. I feel dizzy. But you weren’t there. And the doc didn’t stop her. He was so happy that I was finally providing for the queen…’ Lefoux started. ‘I’m pretty sure he hates my guts. Maybe he got off on her taking so much blood. I mean… I guess… I don’t mean to be rude or upfront… it’s just…’

‘Come sit on the bed,’ Mabel gestured, and she cradled Genevieve’s head in her arms.

‘How was the meeting?’

‘Professional. Secretive. I can’t tell you much.’ She played with Madame Lefoux’s dark hairs and smiled.

‘Did you do well?’ her green eyes sparkled a bit, even though she looked tired.

‘I think so.’

‘Can I stay here tonight?’

‘… I’m not sure, Genevieve.’

‘I can sleep on that chaise longue. Please…’

‘I will ask doctor Caedes to look again. You look far too pale.’

‘Let me get you a blanket. And food. You need to eat.’

‘Mabel…’

‘Hm?’

‘Thank you, _ma cherie_.’ She got a hold of her hand and kissed it. Not much later, she fell asleep in the bed and Mabel lay awake next to her.

 The council had told Miss Dair a great deal about Madame Lefoux’s past. She knew now, more than ever, who she was dealing with. The situation was difficult. Mabel looked at the evil genius a long time before she blew out the candles.

What she didn´t notice, was that Madame Lefoux got up early to take a look at her things – letters, items, anything that she could find that provided details on the operations of the Shadow Council.


	7. Dancing and Drama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everything - dancing, drama, fake moustaches and fan girls - comes together at the spring ball

Author’s note: This chapter touches upon Madame Lefoux's back story, which you can read in  _Finishing_ _School ._ This is a brief warning that it contains minor spoilers for the prequel. _  
_

Miss Junes’ spring ball was the height of the London season. The dance was a popular one, where all the high society of London met. Miss Dair, a popular actress these days, had an invitation. What she lacked, however, was a dancing partner. After dinner, she complained about this to Madame Lefoux, who was helping her sort out her costumes for next’s week’s show.

 ‘I could be your chaperone,’ Madame Lefoux offered.

‘But you are a woman,’ Mabel said. ‘It is unheard of.’

‘I am also an excellent male impersonator. If I do say so myself.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I’ve always dressed as a man and I´m pretty slender. I also have some excellent techniques with face paint that make me appear more masculine. Add a fake moustache and I’m ready to go.’

‘Well, female drag is very popular in the theater these days, but you never struck me as a  performer.’

‘Well, let’s put it like this,’ Madame Lefoux said, while staring at a very pink dress with sequins in Mabel’s wardrobe. ‘Most academies don’t teach girls to become great inventors.’ She showed the overtly pink dress. ‘By the way, how about this one for the premiere of the show? This reminds me of your character.’

‘You attended a boy’s school?’ Mabel inspected the pink and glittery dress. ‘This one is very daring. It was a present from an admirer. I’m not sure.’

‘Yes. I attended Bunson’s – an all-male academy,’ Madame Lefoux sat down on the bed next to her. ‘It was a complicated time, I guess.’

‘You attended an all-male academy? In drag?!’

‘Yes, and it’s not drag to me. This is who I am,’ she professionally inspected Mabel’s dress. ‘Don’t worry about the dress – it looks excellent to me.’

‘A boy’s school - that must have been tough.’

‘It was okay, really. I prefer men’s clothing anyway. Comfortable.’

‘I get that but still, pretending that you were a boy.’

‘Well, I like boy’s clothing, boyish things, and I fancy women. It really wasn’t a problem.’

‘It was still a secret.’

‘I happen to be great at keeping secrets,’ she smiled, showing dimples. ‘How about it then? Put it on. Show me.’

‘It’s really inappropriate.’

‘I thought all of you theater folk were eccentric and really into wearing unorthodox outfits at your parties.’

‘… I’m not sure.’  She put on the pink dress and Madame Lefoux clapped her hands. Yes, it was very revealing but the pink, with a bit of gold, looked quite beautiful. With the right accessories and perhaps a jacket.

‘The Italians would wear it. Their fashion is quite innovative. You could really pull this off. This is a great time to impress your fellows with a wild design.’

‘If you insist, I might wear it. You are well up to date with couture.’

‘I am. Don’t worry. Instead of focusing on that trivial party, let’s think a bit about what you’ll wear to the ball. The Junes ball is coming up and you have to look your best. Now I’ve done some research on what’s hip in Central London and overseas. I could walk you through it, after you’re comfortable with your party outfit.’

What Madame Lefoux did not tell Mabel, was that she had gotten an order from OBO to retrieve a message from a Shadow Council member. Allegedly, an agent would try to communicate secret information to a council at the soiree. Several members of OBO would be present to report strange activities and sightings. Whatever information the agents held, it contained information on OBO that was very, very private, and dangerous in the wrong hands.

Madame Lefoux expected that there would be many supporters of the Shadow Council present at the meeting, perhaps even Alexia. Still, Madame Lefoux knew only one person who had recently reported to the Council. She had been stupid enough to share this information. When the blonde squeezed herself in the tight dress, Madame Lefoux knew that this would be one of the hardest missions that she had faced. She genuinely cared about Mabel.

While Mabel examined herself in the mirror, Genevieve looked around her room. She would have to carefully remember any objects or extraordinary letters. Anything that could give her an advantage now, would be appreciated and circumvent future problems. Still, she hadn’t been able to dig up anything in Mabel’s room, even after she’d cunningly infiltrated it. Well, it didn’t matter much. Going to the ball with Mabel would also give her many advantages to spy on her. Of course, there was still a fair chance that the agent in question was not Mabel. Madame Lefoux hoped this to be true, even though the evidence suggested otherwise.

‘What do you think?’ Mabel asked her.

‘Hm? Ah yes, you look stunning. This will do. Now about the ball – this summer, ladies are all wearing high collars, so I was thinking -’

‘Genevieve…’ She looked quite vulnerable in the pink dress.

‘Yes?’

‘I… I would love to go to the ball with you.’

‘Really?’

‘If and only if you wear a fake mustache. If they find at that  you are a woman, it will be scandalous.’

‘I’ll live up to your standards, belle. I will. Thank you.’ She took Mabel’s hand and kissed it – a true gentleman.

 

*

‘Miss Dair,’ she kissed her hand and took her by the arm at the night of the ball.

‘Oh, Genevieve, you look beautiful!’ Miss Dair examined the mustache with great detail. The suit was nice too - dark blue with some red touches.

‘Obviously, I’m impersonating a man now. Genevieve won’t do at all. Call me Gaspar. That’s my other name. I’m grown fond of it.’

 ‘Gaspar? Was that your name at the academy? I like it. Oh, did you use face paint on your chin? Such detail! You look like an actual man. It’s almost off-putting, really.’

‘Have you never been with a man?’

‘My mother tried to engage me with one.’

‘Really?’

‘I was sixteen. Such a horrible experience. He was a real looker and he even kissed me, but it felt wrong.’

‘Tell me his name.’

‘It certainly wasn’t Gaspar.’

They shared a private carriage from Nadasdy’s household and had fun the entire journey. Mabel was no longer nervous.

‘You even speak differently,’ she commented.

‘Of course.’

‘You could be a star in the theater, you know. It’s quite a rage – women dressing up as men, doing short burlesque skits. Throw a couple of roses in the audience, let some young girls catch them. Many women attend these kind of performances; women who are like us, you know.’

‘Drones?’

‘No, silly. They are Sapphic?’

‘Ah. Yes, it’s always  nice to know that we are not _that_ deviant,’ Lefoux affirmed. She caught the hesitation in Mabel’s statemen. ‘Did you feel alone, as a queer woman?’

‘Yes. I was so glad when Nadasdy accepted me. Life was difficult as a spinster. And when my parents nearly forced me to marry…’

Genevieve squeezed her hand. ‘I’ve grown up with my aunt at Geraldine’s. She really motivated me to be myself. She knew what I was pretty early on. I have no idea what it’s like when people force you to do those things.’

‘I ran away from home, joined the theater. Things got better, but being with Nadasdy helped me.’ She looked up at Genevieve. ‘Don’t speak ill of her, Genevieve. I know that you don’t appreciate her kind, but without her, I would have been lost and in the dark. She’s been good to me.’

Madame Lefoux chose not to comment.

‘Genevieve, I want to tell you something.’

‘Hm?’

‘The reason that I wanted you with me was not… not a romantic one, not really. I need to deliver a message. And you tend to be really crafty with these things. And I trust you. Will you help me?’ She beamed up at Genevieve.

‘Of course,’ Genevieve lied. ‘What kind of message?’

‘I am looking for a gentleman with a corsage – a blue rose. That’s it. I have letter here.’

‘I’ll help you look for him.’

‘There might be some… danger involved. I have a small knife here.’ She patted under her skirt. ‘And here.’ She patted her corset. ‘Just in case. Just so you know.’

‘I… I’ll bear that in mind. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable retrieving any of those in a dire situation.’

‘You can feel me up. It’s okay. Just so you know.’

‘I am a little bit uncomfortable with this,’ Madame Lefoux grinned. ‘I thought we weren’t…’

‘Of course, but I want you to know, in case things start to happen… I mean, I don’t count on you to – I mean, I just…  I’ll protect you,’ she rambled.

‘Oh, Mabel, that’s so sweet of you.’ She kissed Mabel’s blonde curls and wondered if the actress was really this naïve. Of course, if she hadn’t grown up at Geraldine’s, and had been trained in the art of villainy and espionage, she would have no idea how to handle these matters delicately.

 

*

The ball was exciting. The upper class was happily conversing and some dances were shared. Servants moved across the ball room floor cunningly, carrying trays with drinks and snacks. A cello quartet was playing romantic tunes and occasionally a waltz. The table contained food, but it was primarily set with big centerpieces – swans made of flowers, silver platters and big sparkling vases.

Amidst the guests, Genevieve recognized the familiar face of Lord Maccon, fraternizing with the hosts. She looked to the other direction, afraid that he might recognize her – he surely would.

It did not take long until Mabel was swamped with fans who had seen her latest performance.

‘Just riveting, that monologue,’ a well-proportioned lady complimented. ‘You are very talented, Miss Dair.’

‘Thank you,’ she said, humbly. Genevieve noted that it was Mabel’s thing to pretend to be a bit shy, even though she was extravert and outspoken most of the time. This performance of introversion added to her personality and made her seem more ladylike. Like any good chaperon, Genevieve fraternized with some of the acquaintances, upper society and fans as well. She made up long stories about how she had met Mabel in the theater, and she served everyone a different origin story of their relationship. To some, she even pretended with a straight face that she  was Mabel’s fiancé, but that they could not disclose this information just yet. It would upset Mabel’s fans to know that she was betrothed.

One woman even dramatically held her hands, after hearing this story: ‘That is so beautiful! True love indeed. You two deserve each other. It must be so difficult to get married to a star. Both of you look so fine together – an excellent pair. I wish both of you so much happiness.’ She had tears in her eyes. When Mabel walked in on this conversation, she raised her eyebrow, but did not comment.

Of course, they also shared a dance. Madame Lefoux – Gaspar – insisted after all.

Even though she danced gracefully and intimately, Mabel was a bit upset. ‘Several people congratulated me with our secret engagement.’

‘I’m sorry. I only told two people. I was just goofing around.’

‘Bloody fool,’ she whispered.

Madame Lefoux whispered in her ear. ‘Well,  my alter ego doesn’t really exist. Next month you can lie that I died. That’d be something. A tragic story might even increase your popularity.’

Mabel pushed her away a bit and paced up her dance moves. Madame Lefoux had to follow suit. ‘Damn you,’ Mabel cursed, pulling Genevieve closer. ‘I guess I should have instructed you to behave, _Gaspar_.’

‘Loosen up,’ Madame Lefoux said quietly, so no one could overhear her. The cello quartet switched to a bolero in the background. ‘It’s quite fun to pretend that we’re about to get married, isn’t it? Did you never dream about getting married?’

‘No. I fancy women. It was never an option.’

‘It is now. I think it’s great. I’m really enjoying yourself.’

‘I can tell by your wide smile. Stop smiling. _Stop it._ Damn you.’

Madame Lefoux laughed as she spun Mabel around. ‘I like this a lot. I’m sorry. I’m having a great time with you.’ She dropped Mabel and then swung her back up.

‘Where did you learn how to dance like that? Are you sure you aren’t a performer?’ Mabel narrowed her eyes.

‘Well, I’m not a natural. My aunt forced me to learn a few steps at Geraldine’s.’ Like all the _proper ladies_ , she thought.

Mabel and Genevieve moved quite naturally across the dance floor.

‘They are made for each other,’ nodded Mabel’s middle-aged fan girl.

‘Who are you looking for?’ Genevieve asked Miss Dair.

‘I didn’t see him. I think that in a couple of minutes, we may need to have a walk in the garden to observe the situation.’

‘Brilliant,’ nodded Madame Lefoux. ‘Can we have a couple of dances first?’

‘Alright then.’

‘Fabulous.’

 

*

 

Madame Lefoux and Mabel strolled across the patio and past the fountain. The night was bright, but a little bit cold.

‘We shouldn’t stay here for long. You might get a cold,’ Madame Lefoux commented. ‘Do you see this person yet?’

‘No. Let’s sit near the fountain.’ They sat down on a bench. Since it was chilly, most guests were inside. Madame Lefoux knew that this was the perfect moment to confiscate Mabel’s letter, but she was hesitant. She did not really want to do this. Still, the order had asked her to.

She touched Mabel’s cheek. The blonde looked up.

‘You look so beautiful tonight, Mabel. Could I -?’

‘Of course,’ Mabel blushed.

Madame Lefoux smiled and held her hand under Mabel’s chin. Their lips touched and finally, their tongues met. It was not a romantic kiss, but a strategic one. This complex move involved a delicate drug. Mabel fainted instantly. Madame Lefoux feigned surprise.

‘Mabel, dear?’

A gentleman that strolled through the garden looked at her.

‘Corset,’ she commented, as she held the fainted Miss Dair closely.

‘Ah,’ he nodded.

She moved Mabel into a better position. When she saw that no one was watching, the inventor confiscated the envelop. She opened it rapidly, pocketed the letter and put a fake letter in its place. She sealed the envelop again quite professionally and put it back in Mabel’s hand.

Waving her hand lazily at Mabel’s forehead, Madame Lefoux inspected her surroundings and checked her pocket watch. The effects of the drug usually lasted for five minutes but Mabel had consumed some alcohol. Conveniently, the drug also caused some amnesia. It would be hard for her to remember most events of this evening. Madame Lefoux signaled her colleagues by clicking her fingers twice. One of them, lurking near the fountain, showed her his octopus tattoo. She handed him the letter.

As expected, Mabel awoke quite dizzily. After she had sat down near the fountain, and Madame Lefoux had halted a servant for a glass of water, she started to get a clearer idea about where she was. They did not stay at the dance for long and got a ride home. In the carriage, Mabel seemed to remember the letter. She dug in her small Italian purse and found the letter. It contained the seal.

‘Did you leave me after I fainted?’

‘For a moment, yes, to see if there was a doctor in the house. I couldn’t find anyone. A nice woman took care of you.’

‘Really?’

‘You were out for a long time.’

‘I must have been.’

‘I didn’t know what to do. I even expected that someone might have drugged you. Do you think there are any - ’

‘Darling, stop your act. Nothing of importance was in that letter. I’m surprised that you went through such lengths to retrieve it.’

‘Excuse me?’

 ‘I undermined some of your letters to OBO and managed to contact them with a message of my own. I was really interested in seeing how far you’d go.’

Drowsily, Mabel wanted to point at Genevieve’s chest – but actually hit the bench with her finger.

‘Wait – you were spying on me? And you were testing me?’

‘Only a  little bit. Just to see where your loyalties are. We have nothing of importance on OBO, nothing at all. Have you read the letter? It was a bunch of nonsense.’

Madame Lefoux didn’t know what to say. ‘Run this by me again. You knew that I worked for OBO?’

‘Of course, who doesn’t? The Council and Nadasdy – we all know it. Rampaging into our hive house with a mechanical octopus, that kind of gave it away.  Only OBO members use octopuses as signs.’

‘Well, I happened to like octopuses before the Order thought they were cool.’

‘Really?’ Mabel was just about to start cursing but then pulled back in pain, rubbing her forehead. ‘Give me a minute, I still have a headache. What did you use on me? How did you use it on me?’

‘Take one of these,’ Madame Lefoux offered her another pill.

‘Are you mad?’

‘It will work perfectly against the other one.’

‘I am not taking anything that you give me! Are you mental?!’

‘Stop being so loud in public,’ Madame Lefoux commented. ‘You’re being overly dramatic for someone that also backstabbed me. What was your idea? Seeing how committed I was to OBO?’

‘Yes. I wondered about your alliances.’

‘So you set up this elaborate plan?’

‘Yes.’

‘But why?’

‘Why not? I didn’t trust you. And now I know that I don’t have any reason to trust you.’

‘Don’t be like that.’

‘You drugged me, stole the letter and gave me a little octopus in return. Is this really your plan? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out? I heard that you were supposedly an evil genius, but you must have lost your touch.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Madame Lefoux apologized. ‘I’ve been an honorary member of OBO for many years. And yes, maybe I did lose my touch a little bit, but only because I don’t want to hurt you and because I care about you.’

‘Care about me?! You make me feel really bad. I said that I trusted you and still you sabotage my mission.’

‘Fake mission.’

‘Mission regardless. I don’t think that we can be on friendly terms anymore, Lefoux. I asked you to help me and you backstabbed me.’

‘All of this was scripted by you, how do you think I feel?’

‘Scripted or not – you hurt me. Please try to stay out of my way.’

‘Come on, Mabel. I still need to take you home. You are tired and drowsy. The drug is still in your blood.’

‘I am doing this by myself.’ Mabel stood up confidently and fell right into Madame Lefoux’s arms. ‘If I wasn’t this dizzy, I would do this by myself!’

‘I’ll chaperon you.’

‘Fine,  but I refuse to talk to you.’

‘You are so mature.’

‘Yes, I am. Now let’s go.’

‘We should still pretend to be a little bit engaged. Wouldn’t want to upset your fans.’

‘Of course not, darling. Grab my arm. Maybe we should wait a minute. My legs have lost their feeling. What was in that drug?! Doesn’t matter. When we get home, I’ll properly ignore you.’

‘Fine by me.’

‘Gaspar?’

‘Yes?’

‘I really am disappointed in you.’ When Madame Lefoux looked down, she realized that Mabel had tears in her eyes. She was afraid to give her a handkerchief, even though that would be the most gentlemanly thing to do. She wasn’t a gentleman though, not really, and it upset her too.  


	8. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Madame Lefoux faces the consequences of her actions, Mabel´s distrust and a somewhat kinky inspection of her workshop.

Through an official written letter, sealed with an octopus, the Order of The Brass Octopus or OBO had requested Madame Lefoux to observe the events in the hive. The letter was brought to her by a delivery boy, with some of the technical supplies that she had ordered.  There was word that the Council was rallying against OBO. After the dance, the situation had deepened. Even though Mabel’s letter had been quite obviously fake, the members of OBO had gotten more cautious.

Every now and then, Genevieve snuck out and posted letters or documents that detailed the hive business. She avoided Mabel and the other drones, making sure that they wouldn’t note her activities. This was quite easy for her – she was trained in these matters. However, it appeared that Nadasdy hadn’t gotten word of the events at the dance ball. Things went too swimmingly. Either Nadasdy didn’t care, or Mabel had not told Nadasdy and her court what had happened. It upset Genevieve that Mabel ignored her completely. At dinner, they hardly exchanged a glance and finally, Genevieve was so uncomfortable with the situation that she took to eating supper in her workshop. The countess didn’t appreciate it, but she understood. At night, Genevieve sometimes saw Miss Dair go into Nadasdy’s room.

In her letters to OBO, Genevieve shared only minor details about life in the hive, feeling somewhat guilty over past events. Several weeks after the ball, she received a new letter. It stated an explicit request to spy on Nadasdy. According to several anonymous sources, the countess was involved with that nasty business in Egypt. The OBO needed to find out more. Was she contacting other vampires? Did she sent letters to Egypt? Madame Lefoux needed to gather details fast and she would be rewarded handsomely if she succeeded. She understood her task and burned the letter in her room with a sense of determination and purpose. The mission would not be easy though, since Nadasdy had a very large private room and her aethographer resided there. The conversations that the queen had with other vampires, supernaturals and officials were quite secret.

Luckily, Madame Lefoux knew a thing or two about spying. She moved to her workshop and started to work on a small mechanical bug that she could place in Nadasdy’s room. It could record sounds and even some photographic visuals. If she could work around the visuals, she could even envision a device that worked faster and recorded an image per second. She spent the following days working on the device and for once, she was not obsessing over Miss Dair’s wellbeing. She was devoted solely to this project until she had finally built a small automatically controlled bug that could fly into Nadasdy’s room. Like a fly, it could stick to the wall and record the sights and sounds. Madame Lefoux smirked. She was quite interested in seeing what happened in Nadasdy’s private chambers. 

She had timed her actions well. When the maid entered Nadasdy’s bed room, she followed suit and steered the small bug into the room from a distance. Then she entered her workshop again and checked on a small screen where the bug was located. She pulled a few levers and gears started to shift. There were some visuals, but they were obscure. The sounds were perfect though. She could hear the maid singing to herself. The next days, she worked on the pictures very hard. There had to be a way to get them focused somehow.

Finally, she got through and the receiver showed some shots of Nadasdy near her bed. Genevieve jumped up in joy. On the tiny screen, she heard Nadasdy transmitting a message on the aethographer. Sadly, it was nothing special. A message to another hive, but nothing about the Godbreaker plague. Madame Lefoux camped out near the machine. Every now and then, she got some food and even had tea with the other vampires. Since Caedes’ warnings, she had started to consume food again on a regular basis. The color had returned to her cheeks a bit. The doctor had been right. She needed to focus on Quesnel, and as his mother, she needed to be there for him.

It was past midnight when Madame Lefoux sleepily sat behind the screen, toying a bit with the prototype of a second bug. There must be something to improve the images and perhaps zoom in closer, she hoped. Meanwhile, Mabel entered Nadasdy’s room. Upon hearing her voice, Madame Lefoux dropped her screwdriver immediately and put on her goggles. She zoomed in and listened to voices through a small plug that went into her ear. She didn’t want any of the vampires to find out about her spying. The most difficult thing was to work around the spying that the vampires did themselves. Every day, at unexpected hours, Lord Ambrose would inspect her workshop. The screen was small and easy to hide, but vampires had pretty good hearing. He would notice the sounds immediately. She had to be cautious. By switching a few levers, she cranked up the volume. Mabel acted shy and Nadasdy asked for her wrist. She started to suck on it. Then, after a few sips, she started to tear on Mabel’s clothing. The actress stripped down completely, aside from her thin tights and garter belts. Nadasdy pushed Mabel on a wooden bench of sorts at the end of her bed. The furniture was probably designed to put a few clothes on, but Nadasdy used it alternatively and started to tie Mabel up.

Madame Lefoux was a little shocked when she heard Mabel complying.

‘Yes, mistress,’ the blonde muttered. It was sickening, but also fascinating. Nadasdy walked away and Lefoux followed her by controlling the little bug. The countess was getting something from a cupboard -  a kind of ball, it seemed. She returned to Mabel and put the thing in her mouth. There were sounds – gagging sounds? - that grossed the inventor out for a minute. She considered barging into the room to rescue Mabel, but she remembered what Caedes had said about consenting adults and all that. This must have been what he was referring to. Madame Lefoux peeked angrily as Nadasdy stripped down – the woman’s body was so lumpy and completely lacked elegance. How could Mabel possibly be attracted to that horrible woman?! Nadasdy wore black leather garments and played with Mabel’s breasts slowly, teasing her. Mabel struggled a bit but there were barely any sounds. Whatever she wanted to say, the ball in her mouth smothered it. Nadasdy bit her at different places and also seemed to lick her. Thin lines of blood trailed down Mabel’s breasts.

Nadasdy pinched her and spanked her a couple of times. Every time Madame Lefoux heard it, she flinched. Finally, in tears, she removed the plug from her ear and tried to take off her goggles. She was so angry that her hands kept shaking and it was impossible to remove them. _Calm down, Genevieve, calm down_. The screen was still on. In grizzly black and white, she saw how Nadasdy went down on Mabel and she heard muffled sounds. She couldn’t take it anymore and turned off the screen. The tears stained the inside of her goggles.

 

*

Every day she watched the same deviant sex acts. She heard very little about Egypt. Nothing of significance, really. Whatever that plague was, it seemed that Nadasdy wasn’t involved. A week after the installment of the bug, she did overhear a rather cryptic message that Nadasdy sent to Lord Akeldama. It spoke of another vampire, but she could not tell who or why. She wrote down a couple of names and made a transcript based on the dialogue that she had recorded. In her workshop, she had installed a small bell that rang whenever someone entered. While she was finishing the transcript, it rang. Lefoux quickly hid her equipment and looked at the stuff that she had spread across the table. Working plans and other props that made it seem as if she was improving her aethographer. She lingered over the plans.

The daily inspection was not done by Lord Ambrose this time, but by Miss Dair. Lefoux’s heart skipped a beat when Mabel smiled at her. Her blonde curls shone brightly in the damp workshop. 

‘Lord Ambrose is with Felicity today,’ she started. ‘I apologize.’

‘Don’t apologize. I prefer your company any day.’

‘Tell me what you are doing,’ Mabel asked, but she moved around the equipment while Genevieve talked about the aethographer. Lord Ambrose seemed to have instructed her well. She opened various tins, examined new machines and inspected the plans.

‘So all in all, I’m only improving what we have by adding –‘

‘I understand,’ Mabel interrupted her. ‘Leave the technobabble. I don’t really care.’

‘My, my, you are quite harsh today,’ Madame Lefoux commented. ‘Maybe you need someone who helps you relax?’

‘I do.’

‘Well, go see Nadasdy then. I’m sure she’d love to have a go at you.’

Mabel opened her mouth a bit, genuinely shocked by this comment.

‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’

‘It’s okay… I’ve been leading you on. I apologize.’

‘I understand. You like me, but you love someone else. Story of my life,’ Genevieve smiled sadly.

‘Stop it. We are through. I told you that I don’t want anything to do with you. You have no right to be jealous. Just stop it.’

‘I won’t stop. You’re letting this woman abuse you and then you always crawl back to me, and flirt with me, and tease me. You constantly give me the idea that I stand a chance against her, but when push comes to shove, you would never sleep me. You only want to be with that awful woman because you love being treated awfully.’

‘It’s not about that. That’s not how it works,’ Mabel trembled. ‘You disrespect what I do, who I align with and what I have. You don’t want to love me or share me. You backstab me and on top of that, you have some sort of idea in your head that you are doing the right thing. You want to save me from the Shadow Council and those ruddy vampires – that is what you are thinking. You don’t approve of anything that I do. _Darling_ , I don’t need saving. I am fine. I love this. I want sensation. I want to really live. I understand the supernatural world and I appreciate it.’ Mabel moved closer to Genevieve until she could tap her chest a couple of times.  ‘You want to eliminate it, but guess what? You are old-fashioned.’

‘Old-fashioned? I could teach you a few new tricks, _ma belle_.’   

‘Show me then, inventor,’ she commanded.

Mabel forced her tongue into Genevieve’s mouth. She was fierce and warm. Genevieve’s touched her hips and moved to her butt. Mabel broke the kiss and moaned. Persistent, Genevieve grabbed Mabel’s wrists and pushed her against the aethographer, supposedly in need of reparation. She moved her knee between Mabel’s legs and pushed it upwards. Their kisses were desperate and long.

‘This is a dumb idea,’ Mabel concluded, when Genevieve was kissing her neck and nibbling her ear. ‘Really dumb.’ She was flustered. Her cheeks finally had some real color to them. Genevieve wanted to back down but she found herself lingering above Mabel´s hair and kissed it lightly. She let go of Mabel’s wrists.  

´Really dumb…´ Mabel emphasized, placing her hands on Genevieve’s waist.

´I could make you feel good.´ She touched Mabel´s hands, petting them softly.  ´But the choice is yours, Miss Dair. You know how I feel about you. I care about you deeply.´

Mabel looked up. ‘I know.’ She kissed Genevieve’s hand. The inventor shivered. ‘I wish I could say the same thing, but you are quite possibly the darkest person that I know. You are not a villain, but you are misguided. You need to figure things out. You think that I’m the problem, but I’m not. When you get in Nadasdy’s good graces, she’ll probably give me permission to be with you. She has several drones and I am a privileged one. I have been here for years. I am entitled to make my own choices. There is only one problem.´

´Tell me the problem,´ Lefoux muttered, her head leaning on Mabel´s shoulder, covered by blonde curls.

´The only problem is that Nadasdy really hates you and she thinks that you are bad for me.’

‘Do you agree with her?’

Mabel’s tone changed. She laughed for a moment. ‘I don’t trust you one bit, OBO girl, with your strange little tattoo. You’ve grown your hair. You don’t want any of us to see your little octopussy, but I saw. You’ve backstabbed me in such an obvious way. You forced me to do my research. I’ve found so much dirt on you, you’d be surprised.’

Madame Lefoux leaned back on the machine and smirked. She pretended to be well at ease and not hurt by Mabel’s wicked comments.

‘Look, I like you, but you are a shady woman,’ Mabel said, assuming a strict pose by putting a hand on her waist. ‘I know an actress when I see one, Madame Lefoux, and you are one hell of a performer.’

‘You are not so bad yourself, sweetie,’ Madame Lefoux winked, partly because it was too hard to make a serious comment. She moved her hand to Mabel´s cheek, but the actress was distant and narrowed her eyes.

‘What a charming dandy you are. Such a player. Maybe I´m the only one who sees you for what you truly are. I wondered for years. Can I trust this woman? And now I know that I can’t.’ She played with Genevieve’s jacket a bit by touching the buttons. Then she looked up. ‘If you plan to damage the hive in any way, I’ll make sure that you get hurt. Badly. This place is my home. Lord Ambrose told me that you’ve been sending messages to OBO and I am not surprised. He also told me some other things that make you seem dodgy at best.’

‘Well, I am not sure what you are talking about.’

‘Let me rephrase this: What do they know?’

‘I might have let OBO in on a couple of things but nothing major. The countess has been quite good these past years, hasn’t she? Nothing stood out.’

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

‘And have you been talking to BUR?’ Mabel moved a little bit closer to Genevieve and pulled on her necktie. ‘Come on, tell me more.’

‘Only a couple of things, that’s hardly a secret.’

‘And how did you retrieve that information?’

‘I’ve just told them common things, the stuff that we talk about at breakfast. Nothing big, really. Now back down, Mabel.’

Mabel did not back down. Instead she leaned in on Genevieve, who got a good look at her cleavage and swallowed.

‘Come on, Mabel. Please…’

Miss Dair pulled the necktie harder. Her cherry lips almost pouted when she demanded: ‘I asked you: What else?’

‘What do you mean what else?’

‘What have you been inventing? Will it hurt the countess in any way?’

‘I would never hurt the countess.’

‘Ha ha. I am being serious.’

‘Okay, I would not hurt her _now_. She’s very hospitable. Tea for breakfast, beans – she is so kind to a poor French woman such as myself.’

‘This is exactly why I don’t trust you. You are so full of hate. I’m a little bit afraid that you might do something that will hurt us all. It might be because you hate the countess. It might be because those dubious organizations push you to go a step further than spying.’

‘It might be because of a pretty lady that I so desperately want to protect.’ The inventor put her hands around the actress’ waist.

‘Stop it.’

‘She has the nicest hips, you know, and these lush blonde curls. I get hot under my collar just thinking about that woman.’

That was the moment when Mabel slapped her across the cheek hard.

‘What?!’ Lefoux felt tears in her eyes.

‘I told you that I was serious. Didn’t I tell you…? This is not a game. If you threaten the security of this hive in any way, I’ll hurt you and let Nadasdy finish the job. You pretend to be working on your little gadgets, but I am on to you. I see you send those letters to OBO every day. You think that you have nothing to fear from me. You always think that I’m on your side, but you are sorely mistaken. I don’t trust you. I am attracted to you, yes, but I don’t trust you. I know that you are just waiting, like some spider in a web. You are just dangling here, eager to share secret information about our hive, plotting your revenge on Nadasdy.’

‘Those days are over.’

‘I see right through you. You have two sides. I see them both and I know who you truly are.’

‘Then you also know that I’m just an insecure, broken French woman. Your queen took my son and my home. You have little to fear from me now.’

‘I see your pain and I want you to know that I enjoy it.’

‘Well, thank you, Miss Dair. I appreciate your observations,’ Madame Lefoux stared at her blankly. Mabel smiled but then she grabbed Genevieve by the wrist.

‘Are we on the same page?’

‘We are,’ Madame Lefoux nodded.

‘Will you behave yourself?’

‘Yes.’

‘Good, because I will be dropping by often. Lord Ambrose felt that he didn’t quite get through to you. Nadasdy asked me to do the job. She sensed that I might be the only one that you truly respect.’

‘Respect is a big word.’

‘Oh, baby, it really is. For what it is worth – I respect your choices. I like your inventions. I like your passion. I like your sense of fashion. You are so charming. I just wished that you used a small portion of that big brain of yours to make sensible decisions. To be a little bit more strategic.’

‘Oh, I respect you too. Your acting skills, your pretty dresses, your cheerful personality. I feel sorry for you too. You could’ve been empowered. Instead, you are Nadasdy’s doormat.’

‘You’re just about to find out what this doormat can do.’ Mabel picked up Genevieve’s goggles from her working table,  dropped them on the ground and stepped on them. Twice. And then she cracked the glass even more with the top of her shoe. ‘Oops.’

‘Those were expensive.’

‘So were these shoes. Well, I’ll see you later. Tata.’ The actress bounced towards the door. ‘Oh, I’m forgetting something.’

‘You stepped on my goggles and my heart, what could you possibly be…’

Mabel stepped towards Madame Lefoux confidently. She kissed her on the forehead and then gave her a long kiss on the mouth. She bit Genevieve’s lip gently when she let go. ‘Be a good girl. For me, okay?’

When Mabel left, Madame Lefoux touched her lips. It took her quite a while to remember that her goggles were damaged, no, beyond repair even.

‘ _Merde._ Damn that woman.’


	9. Toys and Teasing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nadasdy is displeased but Mabel and Genevieve have a good time

 

**Chapter 9**

After her rendezvous with Mabel, Madame Lefoux had gone to her room for some relaxation. The blonde had impressed her. She lit her pipe and smoked quietly in her room, until the tobacco had turned into ashes. Mostly, she stared at the ceiling, but sometimes outside, at Nadasdy’s well-maintained garden. The silhouettes of the trees and hedges were comforting. She thought of Mabel’s blue eyes and her red lips, and how well she had tasted, how soft she had been. A thought came to her and it seemed so ordinary. _I am in love with her._ She giggled softly until she finally burst into laughter alone in her room. Her stomach ached but she couldn’t stop it. What a mess she was in again!

She didn’t realize that she had fallen asleep, but she must have. When the maid knocked on her door, she awoke. It was midnight, a glance at the clock told her.

‘Come in,’ she said.

‘I’m sorry,’ the shy maid apologized. What was her name again? Sandy? Something like that. ‘The queen needs you. It’s important. Please refresh yourself and go see her.’

Madame Lefoux washed her face and got into a different outfit that consisted of a daring mauve gilet, a black neck tie and a simple but elegant billycock hat. To impress the Countess, she also wore some cologne. The Countess hated it when she smelled of tobacco and often complained about what it did to her blood. The cologne, that was something that she liked, and she often approved of this particular brand when she was sucking Genevieve’s wrist.

When she arrived in the hall, Nadasdy sat in a comfortable chair while Lord Ambrose stood behind her. The queen looked as majestic as ever, and even a little bit pleased with herself.  She held a walking cane with a silver tip on which she leaned casually.   

‘You requested me?’

‘Yes.’ She made a gesture to Lord Ambrose, who walked up to Genevieve. He held a handkerchief in his hand and pulled it back when he stood in front of her. In his hand was the bug.

‘A mechanical,’ the queen spoke. ‘Did you build it? You know that I don’t tolerate technology.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Madame Lefoux bowed. ‘It must have escaped from my workshop. I have been experimenting with those lately.’

‘I showed to a local expert earlier this evening,’ Ambrose told her. ‘He couldn’t make sense of it. This is not an ordinary mechanimal.’

‘Oh, it is, but I’m trying to make control it from a distance to fly. Like you can see, it has extra magnets that allow it to glide on waves of electricity and dissonance, if you could let me-’

Ambrose hushed her, while Nadasdy looked bored.

‘I understand,’ he told her. ‘I see that you clearly underestimate me and my network. Our informant removed a particular part and told us that it was used primarily in aethographers.’ He showed it to her. ‘That is no magnet.’

‘Ah yes, that is quite an experimental bit you got there. Seeing you know so much about aethographers, I don’t need to explain you that without the valve, this transistor is pretty useless. It is not connected now, but I have been working on it.’

‘Interesting. It seems to us that it might not store information, but does transmit it.’

‘If you could tell me how that works, I would love to find out,’ Madame Lefoux said. ‘This is just a prototype.’

Lord Ambrose sighed deeply. The queen looked firmly at Madame Lefoux. ‘We only have one question, Lefoux. What information did you store? A maid found this thing in my bedroom, behind a vase.

‘I didn’t “store” anything. I’m sorry that my mechanical ran amuck, and I promise I’ll take better care of them in the future.’

‘Stop playing games,’ Nadasdy said. She stood up, and leaned on the cane that she was holding. ‘We are on to you. Whatever this device is, it is OBO related.’

‘We let you stay here and grant you hospitality. Why are you this careless?’ Ambrose asked her.

‘I’m careless because I have nothing to lose,’ Madame Lefoux said. ‘You took everything from me. _Everything_. I don’t care if you see what I make. You should be happy to have such an advanced piece of technology in your –‘

‘Shut up,’ Nadasdy commanded. ‘You are taking advantage of us. We can’t be sure if you are spying, but whatever you are doing, stop it.’

‘I personally think that we would be much better off without her,’ Ambrose said, looking at Madame Lefoux as if she was a piece of dirt that he just removed from his shoe. ‘She’s malevolent.’

Nadasdy walked to Ambrose. Her cane tapped on the floor like a ticking bomb.

‘We’ll examine this more thoroughly,’ Nadasdy said. ‘You can stay until we have more information on this trinket.’

‘Thank you,’ Genevieve said. ‘Thank you, I’m so relieved.’

‘Don’t thank me. Thank Miss Dair,’ Lord Ambrose said. ‘We spotted this mechanical yesterday and I send her to do the inspection today. She told me that she had been thorough.’

‘She was. She looked everywhere, ransacked my belongings and smashed my goggles. It was quite a performance,’ Lefoux admitted. Nadasdy responded with a wicked smile, seemingly proud of her girl.

‘I don’t think a broken woman like yourself poses much of a thread, or OBO altogether,’ Nadasdy said to Ambrose. ‘I am quite amused, actually, by this radical behavior. It brightens up the place.’

‘You’ve always had a special interest in the curious and eccentric,’ Lord Ambrose stated drily. ‘I would advise you to be careful around this woman though. She is not as aloof as she appears.’

‘I know, Lord Ambrose. Thank you. Now Genevieve. While we’re having this little chat, I think Mabel and the maids will have removed the most radical inventions from your workshop.’

‘What?’

‘The mechanicals and the aethographer that you were working on, in particular. Maybe some other things. We’re leaving the little mechanical dirigible – oh, what do you call them again, Ambrose?’

‘That experimental machine that you were working on,’ he simply said to Madame Lefoux. ‘You can keep that one. See, our queen can be generous.’

The queen smirked while Madame Lefoux paled.

‘Can I go now? Is this it?’ Genevieve asked, shaking with fury, but also blaming herself for not being careful enough. Hadn’t she learned anything by now?

‘You can go,’ the queen said. ‘We might call you again soon. I expect you stay in the vicinity. Don’t try to leave the hive house, dear. We’re keeping an eye on you and it won’t be appreciated.’

‘Yes, mistress,’ Madame Lefoux nodded.

‘Genevieve? Aren’t you forgetting something?’ She showed fang.

Genevieve understood that the queen wanted to be thanked for her kindness and mercy – in blood.

‘Yes, of course,’ she obeyed by handing over her wrist and the countess sucked long and hard, until Ambrose had to force her to stop.

 

*

When Madame Lefoux entered her workshop again, she looked pale and dizzily grabbed a hold of her machines. The room was stripped clean. A couple of inventions stood isolated and lonely in the dark dungeon. There was no sign of the aetographer, or any of her experimental gadgets and trinkets for that matter.

‘I’m glad to see you up and about,’ Miss Dair said, after she had instructed a maid to take away one of the last inventions.

‘Those skates have sentimental value, you know,’ the inventor commented. ‘I made them when I was quite young.’

‘Poor you. I bet that they remind you of the great times that you shared with your auntie at Geraldine’s school.’ Mabel Dair put a hand on her waste and looked at the inventor with morbid joy, after which she looked down on the maid again, ready to boss her around.

‘Look, I get why you are doing this, but honestly, can’t you leave me some of my stuff? And where are you taking my inventions?’

‘Storage,’ Mabel replied. ‘Now tell me about these little valves over here. What are they for?’

‘You took everything that was valuable. Do you really want to take these little parts too?’

‘You could let me do this, or let the Countess take away everything. No more tools or anything. Then you can go back to your hat shop by yourself and leave the boy with us. It’s your choice.’

‘Stop threatening me.’

‘You’ll get everything back eventually, once you leave the hive or when you’ve shown your good will.’ Mabel looked at the room and nodded. She was satisfied with this situation.

‘I’m not sure how I can show you that I want to help out,’ the inventor said.

‘Nadasdy will think of something. Changing your attitude towards her might help as well. I told you this before.’

‘Yes, yes,’ Lefoux commented, leaning on her table.

‘There’s a couple of small gadgets that I couldn’t quite place. Can you explain them to me?’ Mabel asked her. ‘I put them in this box on the table.’

‘Do you trust me enough? Your queen has her doubts about me, and so do you.’

‘Well, these things seem harmless enough and of course we’ll eventually let an inventor inspect your lab.’

‘Really?’

‘It’s just that it’s difficult to find inventors that are on our side these days. Seems like many of you are related to OBO or other dubious organizations.’

Madame Lefoux grabbed the box and saw only tiny prototypes inside – most of them were very private and she wondered how Mabel had gotten her hands on them. She started to explain their function to Mabel in a difficult but enthusiastic manner. Talking about her inventions was her passion.

Mabel asked her what a specific ring was meant for. Madame Lefoux flushed.

‘Someone commissioned it for… uhm… The best way to explain it is that it induces small shocks of electricity to the carrier and…’

‘What? Is this meant for murder? Is it related to OBO?’ She got the ring out of the box. ‘I tried it, but the shocks seemed very light. Is there a way to adjust the values? We should get rid of this!’

‘No. It’s not what you think! The shocks are meant to be light. This trinket is meant for sex. It’s to tease… I can’t say it. I don’t like speaking about these things.’ Madame Lefoux flushed and looked away.

‘Oh…Really? Astonishing.’ Mabel grinned at the ring.

‘I really wish you hadn’t stripped my workshop like this. Many of the tiny things that you dug up from that cupboard are actually for sexual intercourse.’

‘So that’s why you locked those drawers,’ Mabel said, staring blankly at the box.

‘Yes. It’s a hobby of mine. Sexual intercourse can be so tedious. There are ways to make it more exciting.’

This caught Mabel’s interest, but she coughed. She pointed at a long silver cylinder.

‘What is that for?’

‘Oh, it’s a little something that I made a while ago. A toy of sorts.’

‘A toy?’ Miss Dair inspected the silver tube. It looked very slick and was transparent at points, revealing gears under its coating.

‘That’s what we tend to call them. An adult toy.’

‘I really don’t understand. This looks quite dangerous and also, partly hollow. Can I open it?’

‘Sure.’

Mabel found only cogs in the device. ‘I don’t see how you can play with this.’

‘Maybe I can demonstrate.’ She smirked and seemingly unscrewed something at the bottom of the device. A soft buzzing hummed through the workshop.

‘What is that sound?’

‘It’s vibrating.’

‘I really don’t see the point,’ Mabel said drily.

‘Get over here for a minute,’ the inventor winked. She held the device against Mabel’s leg. ‘There´s a small market for these sort of commodities, and they have a long history. They used to make these out of wood, you know. But of course they didn’t vibrate.’

‘I…I never knew.’

She moved the vibrator to the inside of Mabel’s legs and then upward. With her other hand she pulled Mabel closer until their bodies were quite intimate.

‘It’s a bit tricky since you skirt has so many layers. For the full demonstration, I might have to remove it.’

Mabel swallowed. ‘Off?’

‘…Alright,’ Mabel said and she pulled away from the inventor. She stepped out of the skirt and then removed the complicated petticoat until she was standing in her stockings.

‘Take off the jacket too, it might get hot.’ Mabel stripped down but left her corset on.

Lefoux was feeling feisty. With a sweep, she removed the unnecessary tools from her working table. ‘Lie down.’

‘Yes,’ Mabel replied, but her smile mocked Lefoux. While lying down, she stretched unnecessarily to make sure that Genevieve got a good look at her legs and ass.

‘I’m waiting,’ she said.

Genevieve, quite confidently, stroked her while standing next to the table and kissed her legs gently. She moved the vibrator up sensually and played around with it until Mabel moaned. After some teasing, she rubbed it down Mabel’s clit.

‘I see,’ Mabel moaned.

‘It tingles, doesn’t it? Usually, they offer simple models for the deviants among us. Here and there, in some shops. They are meant for penetration. But I’ve been working on this one here that should crank it up a nudge – stimulate the female subject a bit more. Entice her.’

‘Oh, shut up,’ Mabel protested. ‘Quit the … babbling! Ah! Ah!’ She grabbed the inventor by the wrist and steered the vibrator a bit. Her eyes were closed and her body started to move and shake.

‘It is efficient, isn’t it?’ Lefoux suggested.

‘I said…  Ah!’

‘Do you enjoy it, miss Dair?’

Mabel moaned in return.

‘That’s nice.’ She planted a kiss on Mabel’s neck. Mabel’s leg unexpectedly moved up and her breathing increased. _Nearly there_.

‘Are you ready?’

‘I…what?’

‘I guess that means yes.’ The inventor slowly steered the dildo into her vagina and started to move it up and down. Mabel was not entirely at ease and it took them a while before she came. Madame Lefoux didn’t mind - she had been with women who had taken their time. She was a patient woman and enjoyed seeing the increase in their arousal. Sweating, the actress panted on the table. Meanwhile, Madame Lefoux gently cleaned the vibrator with some the proper materials – a special soap and water. Then she opened it to add some oil to the cogs. Both women were silent for a long time. The actress stared at the ceiling which was partly constructed from iron and glass. The sun shone through. When Lefoux was done, she carefully put the vibrator back in a red box.

Mabel was still lying on the table. The inventor sat down on a chair and looked at her for a while.

‘Did you… did you make that for anyone special?’ Mabel finally muttered.

‘No.’

‘Did you use it yourself?’

‘Once or twice to inspect it. It’s still a prototype.’

‘Oh.’

‘Was it any good?’ Lefoux asked carefully.

‘…Really good.’

‘Was it vibrating enough? I mean… wasn’t it too slow? Or too hard? Did I hurt you?’

‘It could have been even harder, if you ask me,’ Mabel added a soft laugh. It was hoarse, but warm. Madame Lefoux laughed too.

‘Did you ever fuck Angelique like this?’

‘Of course not. And don’t be absurd. Don’t compare yourself with others. What Angelique and I had was special, but it was far from perfect.’

‘Nadasdy does some kinky stuff with me, Genevieve.’

‘I know. I can tell by your bruises.’ She touched a bruise on Mabel’s upper leg lightly.

‘She has toys too. Lots of strap-ons and whips. The sort of things that you spoke about.’

‘Interesting.’

‘But nothing that moves.’ Mabel still looked at the ceiling.

‘Like I said, it’s quite new.’

Mabel moved her head sideways. ‘Thank you.’

‘You’re quite welcome.’

‘This workshop is very drafty.’

‘I know.’

‘It’s really cold. So why are you at the other end of the room…?’

The inventor grinned and then nonchalantly and slowly walked up to the actress. ‘What are you implying, Miss Dair?’

‘Come join me,’ she petted the table.

‘Oh, I couldn’t. There’s still saw dust on it, from yesterday, and all those drawings. My clothes would get dirty,´ she said playfully.

‘Take them off,’ Dair commanded, and Lefoux did as she was told, but only bits and pieces. She didn’t like her body enough to feel at ease with this sort of thing in broad daylight. Sure, the vampires wouldn’t come barging in, but she wasn’t certain if Miss Dair would like what she saw.

Madame Lefoux carefully lied down next to Miss Dair and held her. They started to make out. First some teasing, then some kissing.

‘I really want to return the favor,’ Mabel whispered, unbuttoning Madame Lefoux’ pants.

‘I’m not sure.’

‘I am,’ she insisted, and she pleasantly continued until Madame Lefoux was nearly naked and felt very much loved.


	10. Steam and Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nadasdy puts a stop to the romantic escapades between Madame Lefoux and Miss Dair, and Alexia makes an appearance

The following days, Madame Lefoux and Miss Dair had a silent arrangement. They experimented and tested gadgets carefully. After tea, Miss Dair would pretend to rehearse some lines for her new play, but she snuck in the workshop and they would play with different toys. Being a tinkerer by heart, Genevieve would recombine different inventions and tools to stimulate Miss Dair. The actress was impressed by Genevieve’s ingenuity and her creativity. Sometimes, after these sexual activities, Mabel would not just smile or blush, but she would laugh aloud. What they did was so funny and experimental to her, that it brought her a lot of joy. It brought out the best in her.

They had one silent agreement. Though they enjoyed each other´s company, they never spoke about the future or where they were standing. Since they were not on the same page politically, Madame Lefoux was happy about this air of mystery and secrecy around their relationship. It was better than speaking about their alliances, beliefs and norms. Instead of friction, these little secrets now caused excitement.

In this dirty workshop, they found comfort. Genevieve often found herself thinking back of Geraldine´s engine room, which had kept the large school in the dirigible afloat. Growing up, she had roamed there often, and become used the smears of coals, the smell of iron and the crackling of fire. Mabel, however, had never learned to enjoy dirt. Genevieve would help her tidy up and wiped the grease from her naked back. The lady had to look presentable and above all, the Countess would smell it on her, and disapprove.  

One evening, when Madame Lefoux was working on a small invention in the candle light, Mabel came in. The inventor didn’t notice her. She concentrated and unscrewed a part of the trinket.  

‘Genevieve?’ Mabel leaned in. ‘Vie? It’s important.’

‘Ah, Belle,’ she dropped the screwdriver, startled. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you at this hour. The evening, that’s when you usually feed our queen.’

‘That’s what I want to talk to you about.’ Mabel Dair was not one to beat around the bush for long. ‘Nadasdy knows. It’s not all bad though. She asked me about us, and I told her. She’s happy for us,’ Mabel finally told Madame Lefoux, putting her hand on her shoulder.

‘I’m glad,’ the inventor said.

‘I told her that we’re… Well, I didn’t tell her much since I don’t know where we stand.’

‘Belle, you’ve made it perfectly clear to me several times that we don’t stand anywhere. I will continue to side by OBO. You aspire to be a vampire queen. Didn’t you tell me just yesterday that we are just enjoying each other’s company? In an intimate way?’ She squeezed Miss Dair’s hand softly.

‘Of course, but I had trouble voicing this situation to our queen. Anyway, I thought you should know.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You do understand that offering me your – how should I say it - services,´ she warranted, ´ doesn´t change anything for her or for me. She’s still looking into your situation.’ Even though she smiled, the words came out sharp, like a threat.

 

*

The queen looked at Madame Lefoux malevolently.

‘I am not sure why you have called me here,’ Madame Lefoux said. She stared at Miss Dair helplessly. Just a moment ago, she had closed the workshop and had found Miss Dair in the hallway. Their first rendezvous that evening had been strained, but when Mabel put her arms around her, the air seemed heavy and the night even darker than usual.

‘It’s bad. She needs to see you,’ Miss Dair said, and they walked to Nadasdy in a haze.

‘Could you at least tell me what it is about?’

‘It won’t be pleasant,’ Mabel said dryly.

They met with the queen in the hallway. Nadasdy did not greet the inventor, but merely stood with her back to her stating a brief welcome. Then she turned around and Genevieve could see her expression was one of irritation. The countess did not spend much time on common decencies, at least not where Madame Lefoux was concerned. She had made it perfectly clear that she was not interested in Madame Lefoux anymore and that she merely tolerated her presence.

‘Let me summarize the state of our research,’ the queen started. ‘We did not manage to retrieve your letters to OBO, but we did find out that your small mechanimal has the capacity for data storage. We also know that you’ve disseminated information to OBO. I have talked this over with Lord Ambrose, and we feel that it’s best if you leave the hive for a while. How would you feel about that?’

Madame Lefoux glanced at Miss Dair.

‘I would feel upset,’ she responded, seeking a polite answer. ‘It would not be ideal. For my son. He needs his mother around.’

‘That’s a bit old-fashioned, wouldn’t you say? With our strict curriculum, Quesnel always has teachers and mentors who can take care of him. During the weekend, he can stay in the dorms.’

‘Perhaps I should add that I have also profited from living in the hive,’ Madame Lefoux spoke. ‘You have taken interest in me and offered me the facilities to continue my work. I realized that I have been unkind, even though you have always been hospitable to me. I am sorry, my queen.’

‘I am glad that you finally apologize to me. It sounds earnest this time. Does it sound earnest to you, Miss Dair?’

Miss Dair did not look at Madame Lefoux. ‘Yes, my queen.’

‘Good, because for a minute there, this seemed like a strategic act to me. Luckily, I know that you, Genevieve, would rather be tactless, upfront and honest. I know that you would rather hate me than suck up to me. I can only assume that you speak the truth, that you do feel bad about yourself. Maybe your special friendship with Miss Dair has helped you realize that we are all one happy family here. We have welcomed you with open arms. And so much more.’

‘Yes, you did, Countess,’ Genevieve nodded softly, not at ease with these suggestive comments. She managed to halt her initial response to be bashful. ‘I am grateful.’

‘But you do realize, that your kind words do not change the way in which I think about you or the interests of this hive.’

‘I take it you want me to leave the hive permanently?’ Madame Lefoux asked. ‘That you consider me a security hazard?’

‘No. In light of the situation, Genevieve Lefoux,’ the queen spoke, ‘I want to make you a proposition.’

‘We have conceived of an appropriate way in which you can make amends,’ Lord Ambrose added.  

‘A mission of sorts. That might appeal to someone like you, yes? A special trip?’

‘It’s an honor, really,’ the male vampire spoke.

‘What do you want me to do?’ the inventor asked.

‘We want you to investigate the plague in Egypt. Lord Maccon and his fellows are going there soon. You can join them.’

‘Oh dear,’ Genevieve muttered. ‘I really can ‘t.’ She was reluctant to see the Maccons again. Their history had been painful.

‘Don’t be shy, I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to see you again.’

‘I’m not comfortable with this,’ Madame Lefoux expressed in all honesty.

‘I’m not making a request. I’m ordering you to go,’ the queen spoke and her voice lost the fake sweetness to a bitter cold.  ‘I want you to investigate the plague and keep an eye on that special child.’

‘On their daughter?’

‘Yes. What’s her name again? Something silly. Let me think.’

‘Prudence, I believe,’ Lord Ambrose called her to mind.

‘Ah yes, that one. I want to know if she imposes any danger. We have few records on children like her. Any information would help. We know by now that you are good with information. Travelling with the Maccons would be a great opportunity for you to think things over and show your good will towards us. Afterwards, we can make a decision about what to do with you.’

‘I understand,’ Madame Lefoux spoke coldly, and she bowed. ‘I want to thank you for this opportunity, Countess.’

‘Good. You leave this evening.’ The countess turned around and looked out the window, indicating that the conversation was over. Lord Ambrose nodded and walked Genevieve out. Miss Dair remained with the queen. Madame Lefoux did not quite hear what she said, but it sounded harsh.

 

*

The two women silently packed Genevieve’s belongings. They avoided having a serious conversation and talked about Egypt. They speculated what would the weather be like, the people and the vast deserts. Genevieve looked at her pocket watch.

‘Another hour until the coach arrives.’ When she closed her bag, she saw that Mabel was in tears.

‘It’s nothing. The air is a bit dry in here and,’ she waved her hand to her face, ‘humid. Yes, humid, it’s fine. I’m fine. You’ll be fine too.’

‘Don´t be like that. Whatever happens in Egypt, it only affects supernaturals.’

‘I’m not worried. Why would I worry? You’ll be back in no time. It’s not like you’ll be in any danger. You´re familiar with crossing oceans. You are French, after all. You love travelling.’

‘You seem worried to me,’ Madame Lefoux stated bluntly.

‘I am just afraid that something might happen to you.’

‘That is, I think, what our queen hopes.’

‘Oh, don’t be silly. She really wants an insider there.’

‘And whatever happens to me will be an unfortunate side-effect,’ the inventor sighed.

She put her arm around Mabel. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll be back. And then we work things out together. Figure out what we want.’

‘What we want?’ the actress repeated.

‘Of course, silly.’

‘We go our separate ways, that is what we do,’ Mabel said sternly.

‘And you’ve never thought of combining our interests?’

‘Perhaps, but I don’t see a way.’

‘We could leave the hive together. Work in my hat shop. Quesnel will go study abroad or he will get married eventually. It would be just you and me.’

‘I’m not leaving the hive, Genevieve. I want this. I need this.’

‘Alright, alright. I understand. Just think about. Please promise me that when I’m gone, you at least consider it.’

‘I might.’

‘Thank you.’ She kissed Mabel’s hand. ‘Thank you.’

They spent the remaining hour lying on the bed together, staring at the ceiling. Madame Lefoux told Mabel about her childhood and her aunt. Mabel told her about the first play that she had starred in, which had literally been a disaster. Finally, Genevieve left. Nadasdy did not say goodbye but Lord Ambrose did. He looked away when Genevieve and Mabel kissed, offering them some privacy.  

 

*

In Egypt, Madame Lefoux felt uncomfortable around Alexia for a long time. Seeing her again was painful. She was still a beautiful, elegant lady and very upfront in her communication. Genevieve was drawn to her and wondered often if she could ever get over Alexia at all. For now, they both decided to avoid each other. It was for the best.  

After a few days, Alexia softened up and adressed Madame Lefoux. She seemed genuinely interested in how the inventor was doing, and if she had a special someone. There must have been something that she had picked up. Alexia steered the conversation from Lord Akeldama´s interest to Genevieve´s, suggesting that they shared a particular taste.

´Why, Alexia, what could you possibly be implying?´ Genevieve joked, when Alexia hinted at her queerness.

´Mabel Dair, perhaps?´

´Why, Alexia.´ Madame Lefoux brightened. ´Are you jealous?´ She smiled because Alexia had noticed her interest in Mabel – how and when had she figured this out? Nothing got passed that woman. Had Alexia realized what was going on at the hive house, when Madame Lefoux pulled Mabel away from Nadasdy?

After their conversation, Madame Lefoux felt at a loss. Thinking of Mabel, she realized that she missed the blonde and cared about her strongly. She needed to go home, make amends with Nadasdy and tell Mabel about her feelings. She had the right to know.


	11. Fears and Fangs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Madame Lefoux returns to England where OBO has caused a stir

When Madame Lefoux returned to hive weeks later, Nadasdy waited for her. It was midnight. The hall was dark but the inventor could barely make out the countess, pacing up and down near the window. She seemed restless.

‘Genevieve, so good to see you here.’

‘Countess.’

‘Miss Dair needs you,’ the queen said to her. ‘There’s been a situation of sorts.’

‘A situation?’ Genevieve dropped her bags. She looked pale. ‘What’s the matter? What happened to her?’

‘I couldn’t contact you, since you were travelling, but yesterday, a stranger came into the hive house. He claimed to work for OBO and came to take your inventions.’

‘What?!’

‘The spy infiltrated your workshop, but Miss Dair interfered. She also told him that most of the inventions had been confiscated by the hive and were now being researched at different locations. Now I’m not sure what happened, but he hurt her and took your last things. He was looking for something, but I am not sure what.´

‘Where is Mabel?’ Genevieve managed to ask.

‘She’s in her room, resting, but she isn’t well.’

It seemed that the countess still wanted to add some information, but Genevieve left immediately. Though this exit was improper, Nadasdy shrugged her head and let it go. Then she smiled for the first time in weeks.

 

*

Mabel’s blonde curls were spread across the pillow. Her lips seemed dry and her skin pale. What the countess had neglected to tell, was that she had been badly hurt. She had multiple bruises and a wound that had been carefully wrapped. Had she been shot?

Madame Lefoux sat on the bed and took her hand.

‘Mabel?’

Miss Dair awoke with a gentle smile and then cringed, obviously hurt by her wounds. ‘Vieve. You are back.’

‘What happened?’

‘It’s a long story, but I’m very tired. Lord Ambrose can tell you.’

Madame Lefoux touched Mabel’s forehead. ‘You have a fever.’

‘The wound is infected,’ she muttered.

‘Did Caedes look at it?’

‘Vie… We waited for you.’

‘For me?’

‘I was delirious, you see, and we wanted to do it sooner.’

‘Do what?’ Madame Lefoux asked, but she already knew.

‘The turning. We need to do it when I’m still conscious.’

Madame Lefoux said nothing. In Egypt, Ivy had turned, and even though the ritual had been successful, it had been messy and horrifying. Afterwards, the newly minted queen had been frantic.

‘Vie,’ the actress said with warm blue eyes, ‘I tried to make sure that the spy didn´t take any of our private things and your letters to Angelique.´

Madame Lefoux looked away. It hurt her that Mabel had found those letters. The inventor had put them in a hat box years ago and had not looked at them ever since. Still, the fact that she had them – that she had something of Angelique’s – comforted her greatly. Did Mabel see them weeks ago, when she inspected the workshop? Had she read them? And had it hurt her to read these love letters, addressed to another woman?

‘He took other things though. What did he want?’ Mabel asked.

‘I am not sure what OBO wanted. It must have been that bug.’

‘The one that we took?’ Mabel asked.

‘They didn’t know that, I think. And I have neglected them. I have been distancing myself from the organization for years. They don’t take kindly to that. Once you are in OBO, you don’t leave. I am sorry. My stupidity did this to you. I should have been more careful.’

‘It’s fine. We’ll be fine,’ Mabel said, but then she coughed and rested her head. She closed her eyes. The inventor smiled at her sadly. Mabel did not look fine at all.

Lord Ambrose entered. He sat down on a chair near Mabel’s bed and gazed at Madame Lefoux. His chin rested on his hands.

‘I see that you have returned,’ he said.

‘Yes. Does that bother you?’

‘Not at all. It should though,’ Ambrose added. ‘You have caused us nothing but trouble. Mabel got hurt because of you. It’s bad.’

‘And you want to turn her? She can get better. It’s a small fever.’

‘She was shot and nearly died. Don’t you understand this?’

Genevieve felt tears in her eyes and squeezed Mabel’s hand.

‘We waited for you. Mabel insisted that you would be present, in case things would go awry. She supposed that you wanted to say goodbye.’

‘We are not going to do this! You people are sick,’ Madame Lefoux yelled. Mabel looked up at her with pleading blue eyes.

‘Be quiet,’ Lord Ambrose said harshly, standing up from the chair again and pointing at Mabel. ‘She always wanted to do this, ever since she was young. Take a good look at her. She  looks nice now, but you mortals decay fast. Give her ten, maybe twenty years, and she won’t be in shape anymore and she won’t survive the ritual at all. A drone needs to be fit to survive the process.’

‘I heard how Nadasdy handles these rituals,’ Madame Lefoux shouted back. ‘You know what they told me? Do you know what everyone gossips? That Nadasdy is too old. She’s lost her touch. Letting her do this is suicide. She hasn’t produced a new queen in over fifty years.’

‘Don’t be stupid; a queen never loses her touch,’ Ambrose said. ‘Creating a new queen is always difficult, that’s why we have so few of them. It is, however, not impossible.’

His words reminded Genevieve of Ivy’s turning, which had been done by the oldest vampire in the book. If the ancient queen had not lost her touch, then surely the rumors about Nadasdy would have to be false as well. This calmed Genevieve down somewhat.

‘After what I’ve seen in Egypt, I agree with you, but the chance is slim,’ Madame Lefoux said. Mabel squeezed her hand, but her eyes were closed. She seemed tired.

‘Vie?’

‘Yes.’

‘Don’t tell me what I want.’

‘I’m sorry… I’m so sorry. I just don’t want to lose you.’ She kissed her hands gently.

 ‘You can say goodbye now,’ Ambrose said, leaving the room. ‘We’ll guide you to the queen in a couple of hours. You still have time to make up your mind and reconsider.’

‘I won’t reconsider. It would be a great honor,’ Mabel said, her voice hoarse but somehow happy.

 

*

 

That night, Genevieve memorized every inch of Mabel’s body in the candlelight. They comforted each other and gently placed their hands on each other’s wrists or hair. Mabel, delirious with the fever, cried and mumbled inconsistencies until she fell asleep. Genevieve  hugged her but not too tight. Mabel’s body smelled of blood.

 

*

In the early hours of the morning, Madame Lefoux felt Mabel’s forehead, which was even hotter than before.

‘Mabel,’ she whispered.

‘Hm…?’

‘I want you to know that…’

‘Don’t say it,’ Miss Dair murmured, with closed eyes. ‘Don’t say it now. Not like this.’

‘If you survive this, I will say it, many, many times,’ she laughed. Madame Lefoux watched the candles burn slowly. The flames calmed her down.

‘When I’m a vampire,’ Miss Dair coughed suddenly. ‘I want you, I want you to stay away from me.’

Madame Lefoux looked at her. How could she ever stay away from her, after all that they  had been through?

‘I don’t want to be the thing that you hate most. I don’t want you to look at me like you do at Nadasdy. With such loathing. Do you hear me, Vie?’

‘Mabel, I could never hate you.’

‘But you will. Promise me, Vie, that you’ll stay here with Quesnel and take care of Nadasdy. When Quesnel has grown, and when Nadasdy has released you, you can figure out what to do.’

‘Mabel…’

 ‘I will be different, Vie.’

‘You don’t have to do this,’  Madame Lefoux urged her again.

 With a knock on the door, Lord Ambrose interfered their conversation. He had come to wake them. Miss Dair told him that they would have to proceed. They had done their research the past years, the both of them, and they were convinced that the likelihood of a new queen depended not just on the quality of one’s blood but also on physical fitness and perhaps even a certain disposition.

‘I  think this is the best time,’ Miss Dair nodded, staring at her books on vampirism and its history.

‘It depends on aether,’ Madame Lefoux said. ‘Women in my line are likely to become ghosts. Similarly, aether influences the supernatural and the preternatural. My trip to Egypt has opened my eyes for this even more. Depending on your disposition, you will survive. If you want, I can try to measure…’

‘No. We will do this as planned,’ Mabel insisted.

‘But what if we find out that there is a likely chance that you’ll die?’

‘I would still do it. Genevieve, we know too little about how vampires are made and even when we would research it now, would we come up with something conclusive? The mysteries of the supernatural are deep and profound.’ She closed her eyes for a moment, tired. ‘I’ll die either way.’

‘With the right medical expertise you could…’

 ‘It’s everywhere, Vieve. I can’t even get up by myself. You need to help me out of bed. Just get the countess, Lord Ambrose. It’s time.’

 

_*_

When the queen bit Miss Dair, Lord Ambrose had to hold Genevieve and pull her back. He had to use some force, because she was shouting in French and wanted to hurt the queen badly.

‘It will be okay,’ he kept repeating. ‘Genevieve, stay back.’

There was blood everywhere. Mabel screamed one last time and then her neck seemed to snap.

‘She’s dead. Oh God, you’ve killed her. You monsters. You damn monsters.’ When Ambrose let her go, she fell on her knees. The smell was sickening, even the air tasted like iron.

Genevieve did not catch the rapid moment in which Miss Dair opened her eyes or her first movements, which were full of energy and life. Miss Dair kissed the queen on her lips and they shared a moment of mutual respect and recognition. Then the new queen blinked at Madame Lefoux. Her fangs – makers and feeders – blinked.

‘I’m sorry, Vie. Please take care of Nadasdy.’

‘I love you. Mabel, I love you so much,’ Genevieve said, for the first time. 

Mabel just nodded but the urge to nest was strong, and she was gone before anyone had realized it. Nadasdy gazed at the empty spot where she stood.

‘You still have the gift, my queen,’ Lord Ambrose complimented her. ‘The ritual was aesthetically pleasing and clean.’

‘Thank you, Lord Ambrose. Who knew, right?’


	12. Drones and Dessert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our lovers meet in a house with nothing but male butlers, flower petals and lots of cake

It was a gentle morning when the vampire queen strolled through her hive house. Mabel Dair had been a vampire for over a year by now, but she still had not gotten used to the feeling. Her body felt lighter and sensual, almost insect like. Her senses had become stronger and with that came a different kind of aesthetics. She cared deeply about vibrant colors in paintings, about the smell of good perfume. One of the little pleasures that she afforded herself was gardening. Even though she could not leave the hive house, she had built a small indoor garden and took care of the roses each day. Literature and theater plays never bored her, and even invested in fiction and art more deeply. Still, one primary need made her feel different and caused mood swings from time to time. She craved for blood, all the time. The red roses that she grew reminded her of that bloodlust and moved her deeply.

She was in her garden, when her butler came to see her. A strange gentleman had called for her – an old suitor perhaps. Mabel walked to hallway to greet the visitor.

‘Vieve,’ her words vanished into thin air. Her voice was soft and somehow brittle. It seemed older and more mature.

‘Belle,’ the inventor took of her hat and greeted her with an elegant bow.

‘You shouldn’t be here.’

‘My son is studying in Paris. There was no reason for me to stay at Nadasdy’s.’

‘I see. And you couldn’t send a letter? You had to surprise me.’

‘Well, I hoped that you might be glad to see me.’

‘I am not.’

Madame Lefoux looked into Mabel’s eyes. Their color had changed. Her skin also seemed to have a different texture and her lips seemed thinner.

‘I am offering my services,’ the inventor curtsied. ‘I want to be your drone.’

The newly minted vampire queen remained silent. She walked towards Genevieve and touched her hand. Genevieve’s heart skipped a beat.

‘Oh, baby, if you knew how glad I was to see you,’  she leaned in to kiss Mabel, but the other backed down. The vampire looked afraid and embraced herself.

‘‘Vieve, I am not the same person that I was. You should understand this.’

‘I know that you are still my girl. Mabel, just let me hold you.’

‘I can’t. I will hurt you.’ Miss Dair stepped back even further.

‘The heart wants, what the heart wants,’ Genevieve shrugged. ‘I don’t mind. Hurt me. If that’s what it takes to be with you, then-’

The vampire queen was not pleased with were this conversation was heading. Just stop. I can’t let you do this. What about the OBO? They will never tolerate you becoming a drone. That goes against everything you deviant scientists stand for.’

‘Several respected members were drones,’ Madame Lefoux told her, while thinking of her aunt. ‘Not that it matters. Ever since their spy hurt you, we haven’t been on good terms. They formally apologized. I submitted the information and prototypes that they requested, but we’ve never been able to settle our differences fully.’

Madame Lefoux obeyed, but Mabel walked fast and paid her very little heed. The inventor trailed behind her, keeping her distance.  They walked past several servants that were cleaning the house. The inventor had a short peek at Mabel’s garden, where another male servant was attending to the roses. Sun light beamed through the glass roof that partly consisted of leaded glass. The light burst into different colors on the small trees, flowers and herbs. The room smelled lovely. Madame Lefoux lingered in the doorway for a minute, impressed by such beauty.

*

‘You have very few drones. And I can’t help but notice. Are they all men?’

‘It’s easier this way. Clean. Nice. Nothing that gets in the way.’

‘No intimate relationships, you mean? No attachment?’

‘Something like that.’

‘Well, I heard that people change after they become vampires,’ Madame Lefoux lectured Mabel. ‘They acquire different tastes and some are attracted to different people. I am glad to hear that you are still…’

‘You don’t have to instruct me on vampirism. Let’s not discuss such things in the hallway. Follow me,’ she gestured.

Mabel ordered tea in the library, where they could share a private talk. Genevieve inspected the books and side-tables with flowers on them before she sat down. A butler brought the tea.

‘Do you really have no female servants?’

‘Two. They are quite mature.’

‘Aha. Are you afraid of what you might do?’ Genevieve wanted to sit down next to her but Mabel stopped her. ‘

That’s a bad idea,’ the vampire said. ‘Please sit on the chair across me.’

‘What’s the problem? I’m a great drone.’ Madame Lefoux awkwardly drank some of the tea. ‘Sure, I give very little blood, but I heard that I taste quite good.’

‘Genevieve, there is something I want to tell you. I can’t keep you here. I killed two women after I became a vampire. I sucked them dry. I couldn’t stop myself. I was so… They tasted so good. Like I said, I couldn’t stop myself. You shouldn’t be here.’

‘I heard that happens often, when women are turned into vampires. It’s the bloodlust, isn’t it? It takes some time to adjust to it and discipline yourself.’ The inventor put some more sugar in her tea. ‘It’s all quite natural.’

‘No. I am a predator. Why do you come to me now? Now that I am this - this thing! Vieve, I am a monster. You were right. I cared about those girls and they died within a month. Then I stopped hiring girls.’

‘What were they like?’

‘Sara had dark hair and blue eyes. She lasted a week. The other was an American named Mary. Really pretty. Lasted two weeks until I tied her down and sucked her dry. I can still hear her screams.’

‘Oh, Mabel.’ She tried to put her hand on Mabel’s shoulder, but the vampire snatched it out of the air. Madame Lefoux felt the vampire’s nails in her wrist.

‘Don’t touch me. I want you to leave.’

‘Are you afraid that you might hurt me?’

‘I _will_ hurt you. Please don’t let me take you in.’ She closed her mouth fast, and pressed her hand against it, as if she was ashamed of her teeth.

‘I can take care of myself. If anything happens, I know exactly what to do against vampires, without killing them. I am pretty good at defending myself against supernatural threads. Trained that way.’

‘I want you to finish your tea and leave.’

Madame Lefoux did not leave. Instead she got up and walked up to Mabel. She kneeled down and touched her hands.  

‘I’ve missed you. It took me months to find out where you are.’

‘Let go.’

‘I want to be with you.’ She kissed Mabel softly on her hands. Then she moved up and kissed her on the lips. That’s when the vampire pushed her down, until they were both on the floor. Mabel had gotten a hold of her wrists and kissed her fiercely. Their tongues touched. When Mabel sank her teeth into Genevieve’s neck, the inventor whispered: ‘Drink it. Please.’

Mabel was surprised by how sweet the blood was, thick and pleasing. It tasted so much better than anything that she’d had in months. How could that be? Did the blood of women really taste differently? She couldn’t stop herself. It seemed to her as if she’d been starving for months. The blood was rich and she savored every drop of it, until Genevieve pushed her away. ‘That’s enough. That’s all that I can take.’ She looked pale. Mabel backed down, resting her arms on the chair and turning away. She was crying, as much as a vampire could cry, at least. Her back moved up and down. Her breathing was irregular and she gasped.

Surprised by the vampire’s vulnerability, the inventor sat down next to her and rested her head on Mabel’s back. She put her hands around Mabel’s middle.

‘Don’t feel bad.’

‘I want all of you so much… I don’t want to feel like this. I want to eat you. And yet I love you. I want to consume every little bit of you. You are so amazing. And you taste so amazing. It hurts.’

‘Mabel…’ Madame Lefoux whispered. ‘Look at me. Turn around.’

The queen complied. She looked pale, but there were no trails of tears.

‘I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while…’

‘Don’t say it. Please don’t say what I think…’

‘You don’t know what I want to say.’

‘Don’t say it. I will keep talking. Don’t say it.’

‘Listen to me.’ She looked her in the eyes. ‘Just hear me out, okay?’

‘Please…. Please don’t say it.’

‘I love you. And I want to be with you. I know the risks. But you’ve been a queen for over a year now. You can do this.’

‘I don’t want to love you,’ Mabel said. ‘I don’t want to be with you. But I do love you. So much. And it makes me sick to my stomach.’

Genevieve smiled and touched a stroke of Mabel’s hair that had gotten loose during their intimate struggle on the floor. She put it behind Mabel’s ear and then kissed that ear, the neck, the corner of her mouth and finally, her lips. Her hand moved quickly Mabel's petticoat and lightly touched her stockings. Her other hand went up the bodice that was tightened around Mabel's breasts. The vampire queen panted from her red lips and licked Madame Lefoux's shoulders and neckline, while pressing her long fingernails in the inventor's back. 

They undressed each other rapidly. The vampire moved fast and fierce. She tore apart Genevieve’s clothing almost dramatically. 

‘That outfit was Italian, you know,’ Genevieve commented on her torn blouse. Mabel smirked. Her teeth shone brightly and though her pose could have been elegant - a hand in her hip, a slender foot forward - it seemed fierce and brutal. 

 ‘Shut up. I want you.’ She was so fast that she was on top of Genevieve before the inventor noticed that she’d moved at all, kissing her belly and trailing her tongue across her navel. Then she unzipped Madame Lefoux´s pants. The inventor dabbled in Mabel’s blonde curls. The carpet scratched her back and she closed her eyes until she came.

‘I want you to feel good too,’ Genevieve said. ‘You deserved it.’ She cupped Mabel's breasts and was surprised when the vampire kissed her belly. 

'If you want me to feel good, I need some of this.' She stroked a vein near Madame Lefoux's groin. 'This one is my favorite.'

*

Afterwards, Mabel fed her the pie that had been waiting for them, and tea with lots of sugar. Madame Lefoux was hurt by all kinds of bruises, but she was also positively glowing. Mabel had given her many tiny bites - in the shoulder, the neck, the wrist and near her groin. While Genevieve was smiling, and kissed Mabel's forehead, the queen looked unhappy. 

‘This is what I mean,’ she said softly. ‘This is how I killed the girls too. I don’t know how Nadasdy did it. I guess that she was experienced. Oh, and she always knew when to stop during sex. Maybe you should halt me. We had an agreement that I would halt her. A word of sorts…’

‘A word,’ Madame Lefoux repeated, lying in Mabel’s arms in the chair. She was practically naked, except for the neck tie that Mabel had put on her again. She liked pulling things during sex.

‘Have some more cake,’ Mabel said, forcing the cake in Genevieve’s mouth. ‘You need to eat.’

‘Stop feeding me.’

‘I want to take care of you, tired little puppy.’

‘Puppy? I’m not your pet, _belle_.’

‘Aw. What do you think of “puppy” as our word, Vieve?’ She put her head on Genevieve’s shoulder.

‘Our word shouldn’t be puppy.’

‘Maybe something fashionable. Our word can be “diamond” or “emerald”.’

‘I want something more adventurous,’ Madame Lefoux suggested. ‘I was thinking along the lines of “quicksand”. Now give me that cake.’ She took the platter from Mabel and finished the lemon cake herself.

‘I like quicksand,’ Mabel said, and she pulled Madame Lefoux’s neck tie softly to show her approval. ‘I’ll get you some orange juice too,’ the vampire said. ‘It helps. And something with salt in it.’

‘Sure.’

‘Vieve?’ she asked, after she got up and started to collect her underwear. ‘I am afraid of what I might do to you.’

‘I can handle this. I mean it.’

‘I didn’t know when to stop. We'll make arrangements.’

‘Don’t worry, baby. If you want, I’ll even make sure that there’s some silver nearby.’

‘That might be wise.’

‘And maybe some handcuffs too,' Madame Lefoux grinned. 

'Finish your cake, dear.' 


	13. Complications and Carnivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Miss Dair's appetite starts to annoy Madame Lefoux, but they also work towards some solutions

Being with the new vampire queen was lovely, but it also exhausted the inventor. Their sex was rough, and usually took place after Mabel had consumed blood. She had not covered up her sexual appetite, but it caught Madame Lefoux off guard nonetheless. The queen exercised little constraint and control. The vampire found Madame Lefoux irresistible and she had a tough time staying away from her.

They slept together during the first month of Genevieve’s stay, but it didn’t work. Mabel would start nibbling on Madame Lefoux in the middle of the night, bite her and touch her. The inventor got no sleep at all and finally moved into a room of her own. That didn’t really prevent them from being intimate though. The indoor garden and the library, especially, were among their favorite places. Even though this wore down Madame Lefoux, she did not mind. She felt wanted and she´d never felt that way before. She needed Mabel as much as she needed her.

After several weeks, the inventor became tired. She had a hard time focusing and couldn´t keep up with her work. The domination and the feeding wore her out. She had trouble voicing this because she didn´t know how to solve it. It was in a vampire´s nature. They couldn´t simply work around it. Still, Madame Lefoux tried to inform herself into vampirism by reading the books in Mabel´s library and purchasing a few of her own in a small bookstore downton. All of the books mentioned that the psychological stress was something that drones had to look out for and warned for excessive loss of blood. It didn´t help Madame Lefoux much further. One author suggested that vampires were best suited with polygamous relationships, and many drones, since the focus on a single individual could be fatal. Genevieve recognized this. How could she tell Mabel that this was too much? What would the queen say if she told her she couldn’t handle this?

Luckily, Mabel had several male drones. Even though they had donated little blood to her lately, they were technically still her submissives. They noticed that Madame Lefoux was getting paler and paler, and told Mabel to halt it and feed on them more. It helped for a little while, but as a result, their sex got heavier and kinkier. Mabel lusted for her blood. This too wore Madame Lefoux out. While their actions were intimate, and she halt them any time, she didn’t feel entirely comfortable with the situation.

Finally, she snapped. One night, Mabel had bitten her during sex again. Genevieve did not need to consider this for long. She pushed her away angrily and locked herself in the bath room next to it. She remained quiet, almost frozen, sitting with her back against the iron bath tub.  

‘Baby, I’m so sorry. I will stop. No, I want to stop.’ Mabel said against the closed door. ‘Please let me in.’

‘I can’t do this anymore.’

‘Vieve, we need to talk about this. I told you that we needed to talk. We have our words and our rules.’

‘But that’s it… I just feel like you don’t respect me. Like we are past the rules. And past the words.’

‘What do you want?’

‘More space. I need more space,’ she gasped.   

‘I understand. You could have told me you now.’ Mabel placed her hand against the door gently. ‘I don’t want to hurt you.’

‘And yet you do.’

 

*

 

The hive house was spacious with many guest rooms. Mabel gave the inventor a private room for her inventions, trinkets, and another one for the fashion projects, next to her bed room. Madame Lefoux made sure that Mabel didn’t have any spare keys to her part of the house, or she’d get no work done at all. At first, she missed their moments. She went back to see Mabel often and they would still sleep together. The queen was more protective and caring. This gave Madame Lefoux hope. Perhaps she had encouraged her dominant behavior by submitting to it. They needed to balance things out. This kind of domination and submission was beautiful and fine, as long as both partners felt respected. They had taken the game too far. The inventor actively tried to distance herself from Mabel to keep her emotions in check. She would work on a machine for hours and sometimes she found Mabel sitting outside of the workshop, listening to the sound of the machines. That really crept her out. This time they discussed it.

‘I guess I’ve become a predator,’ Mabel sighed.

‘It’s okay, baby,’ Madame Lefoux put her hand on Mabel’s knee. ‘You’re still you, but you have different needs. You don’t have to conceal it. Just be yourself.’  

It was difficult though. Madame Lefoux understood now why humans could only be drones to vampires and never partners. It was notoriously difficult to be with be in an equal relationship with a vampire. She wanted to protect what they had, but it was difficult. Biologically speaking, Mabel associated taking in food with sex now on some complex level. It also didn’t help that she really liked being intimate with Genevieve. Her love for the inventor made her obsessive. Even though the inventor needed her space, Mabel found it difficult to respect that. Just seeing Genevieve and smelling her, put her in the mood. It was a bit eerie.

Madame Lefoux thought about moving out, but instead she openly discussed it with Mabel every evening and told her that sex would be limited to once a night. One evening, she noticed how skinny and pale she had become. She decided that this had to end. They needed better arrangements. That night, she cornered Mabel in the library over tea. They were amongst themselves and might have looked happy to any outsider. Mabel was smiling and touching Madame Lefoux’s hair. The inventor held her hand.

‘We need to talk.’

‘I hate those words,’ Mabel protested.

‘You know that I care about you, right? We need solutions if we want this to last. I have made a list of demands. You need alternative food sources.’

‘I have drones. I drink their blood every day.’

‘You drink too less of it, because you don’t like your male drones. Get a woman.’

‘I don’t want another woman. I only want you.’

‘I can’t take this. Look at me. Look at me Mabel. I can’t get anything done. My mind is a blur all the time. I can’t keep up with this. You’ll kill me.’

That thought made Mabel open her mouth and then close it again rapidly. She looked at the floor sadly. ‘You are right.’

‘Look. You won’t. But our arrangements are not enough. You corner me at tea time or during lunch. You want more sex and more biting. I can’t take it. I’m only human. And Mabel, I need some time and space for myself.’

‘I understand.’ She bit her lip. Though Madame Lefoux was quite mad, she had to admit that Mabel looked hot. 

‘If you want to keep me around, then these are my demands. Train one of your drones to control you. Like Caedes. Get a new drone. A female one. She doesn’t need to be young. Your relationship with her doesn’t have to be sexual. Also, we have sex once a day, preferably at night. That’s when you drink from me. During the day, you leave me alone. We can spend time together and have lunch together. You can even hold my hand and kiss me, but you have to restrain yourself. Stop initiating these little rendezvous. They wear me down.’

‘I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Vieve. I’m really sorry.’

‘Stop apologizing. Can you do this?’

‘I think I can. I’ll try.’

‘Keep yourself busy. A new drone will help. Maybe you should keep up with the performance arts. That always kept you busy.’

‘How can I?’

‘Rearrange some parts of the house. Build a theater.’

‘Are you serious about this?’

‘I am,’ Genevieve said confidently.

‘The house is big, but is it that big?’ Mabel wondered. 

‘You can go as far as the garden outside, right? I have seen you near the patio at night, even though you never go far and you never tell me.’

‘Yes, but I’m still not sure why I can. It’s part of my nest. My body allows me to go into the garden even further. At some point it halts though. Near the apple tree at the end.’

‘So we build a stage outside, an intimate one. And you do some shows for the higher society with some actresses? Maybe invite a selected company that is comfortable with the supernatural, that you trust.’

‘It sounds interesting. I always loved the soirees and dances that Nadasdy held. Still, it is rather rude to perform when one is also the hostess, who receives all of these guests.’

‘You are right. Still, we could make it into a special event, perhaps. A short play with other actors and enough time to socialize?’

‘Perhaps,’ Mabel squeezed Genevieve’s hand approvingly.

‘Ivy abandoned theater altogether after she became a queen, but honestly, she lacked in talent and has a family to focus on. You’re creative at heart. Get to it. Be creative.’

‘I will,’ she nodded, and then she smiled.

‘You are a performer. That’s what I like about you. Oh, Belle, you could even be a patron of the arts at some point! That would be fantastic! Fashion, art, literature-’

‘I love it when you excited and kind, Vieve.’

‘Getting carried away again,’ Madame Lefoux apologized. ‘That’s all that I wanted to say.’

‘It was a good intervention.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I will do as you ask.’ She got up. ‘Now, you have work to do, don’t you? And I have a household to run.’

‘Good.’ Madame Lefoux got up as well, dusting off her jacket.

‘I was going to suggest some make-up sex, but we shouldn’t. Maybe tonight.’

‘You can kiss me if you want,’ Madame Lefoux suggested, feigning disinterest.

‘Only if you want it,’ she smiled. ‘Do you want it?’

‘Only a small kiss.’

Mabel kissed her softly, but Madame Lefoux tipped her and kissed her passionately.

‘That was wonderful,’ Mabel said, hungry for blood.

‘No biting.’

‘No biting.’ She stroked Genevieve’s wrist, holding back. ‘I can do this.’

‘Great. It will take a couple of weeks before I’m well up to strength. I suggest you only bite me minimally until then.’

Mabel looked sad. ‘I’ll consult the other drones and we’ll start recruiting. There was a woman several weeks ago who expressed interest. A widow with really gentle eyes.’

‘Really?’

‘She came here looking for refuge. Sally was her name, lovely red hair. She’s not interested in becoming a vampire queen, but she wants to teach in a vampire academy. She cannot bear children and she’s all by herself. I refused her, but maybe we can still track her down. She could stop in during the morning and leave for the nearby vampire academy afterwards.’

‘I suppose so,’ Genevieve said. ‘I would like to meet her.’

 

*

 

Taking in the new drone took the pressure off Genevieve. The woman was sensitive and disciplined. She reminded the inventor of her aunt. The next weeks, the queen hardly fed on Madame Lefoux, who could finally eat and regain her strength. Mabel learned to be careful, but there was always a fire in her eyes when she saw Genevieve. Gradually, she accepted that Mabel’s bloodlust, her cravings, and love were interlaced and complicated. There had been something dark and devouring about their relationship that was too much for Genevieve. Now it started to become lighter. They found ways to be with each other. This meant that they didn’t always sleep in the same bed or dine together, sometimes had to lock a room, and occasionally had to force themselves to think about other things. Madame Lefoux got happier. She made hats again and even some accessories. She dabbled in inventions.

Finally, she cut her hair again – short and manly, according to the latest fashion. Her old suits fit her like a glove. After they had had sex, Mabel would make sure that she consumed enough food and drinks. She would occasionally also ask a doctor to inject her with medicines of sorts – something that Caedes had recommended to her by letter.

Meanwhile, they had consulted with the other drones on a nightly festivity.

‘What if it wasn’t just a theater,’ Mabel dreamed, ‘but a garden party with a theme and a stage. What if we have more performance arts? Like a circus.’

‘A nightly carnival, filled with interesting performances.’

‘It’s been a long time since I last visited a circus,’ Genevieve said fondly, pronouncing circus like _cirque_. 

‘It will be charming. Lanterns in the garden and in the trees,

 

*

When all the guests had left, it was nearly morning. There were still stars but the sky was purple and they could see the clouds.

‘What I wouldn’t give to leave this place,’ Mabel whispered. ‘I thought that nesting would feel good and natural to a vampire. I thought that I wouldn’t want to leave this house, but I do. The more people I see, the more I miss life in town. I miss my house. I miss the Thames in the morning and Hyde Park. I wish…’

Madame Lefoux said nothing. The actress had known what she had signed up for. It was too late for regrets.

‘I have experienced new things, wonderful things. Immortality is great. My body feels so much better – flexible and fast. It’s not enough though. I want freedom.’

‘This is the price,’ Madame Lefoux muttered. ‘This is what you pay.’

 ‘It’s so unfair, but it makes sense. I am a monster in a cage. That’s what I am. I’m trapped between these walls. Maybe it’s for the better. Pretty women wouldn’t be safe when I prowled the streets. The male vampires can - it’s so unfair! - but then again, they can’t make any new queens.’

‘Calm down. We had a wonderful night,’ Madame Lefoux hugged Mabel. ‘Don’t romanticize London. We have everything that we have right here.’

Mabel did not reply. Her eyes peered into the distance to a horizon that she could never reach. She locked away the anger, but could not prevent it from slowly consuming her.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fic is slowly coming to an end. I've been writing a lot on this story during my holiday. There will be an epilogue too, probably uploaded tomorrow.


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Madame Lefoux looks forward to her new pet project

At one of their extravagant soirees, Genevieve ran into Alexia again. She had spotted the beautiful dame behind a fire-breather that spat flames into the nightly sky. This time, there were little tents in the garden, a small stage and several entertainers, including a man who had trained a monkey. Their evenings had grown quite popular and some folks from the high society - some of them fans of Mabel - had pitched some money to support these festivities. Madame Lefoux did not quite know what to say to Alexia when she approached her. They stared at each other for a while. It was kind of awkward.

‘Fancy seeing you here,’ she said eventually, when Alexia nodded.  

‘You look well,’ Alexia smiled, her long dark hair partly hidden under a fashionable hat, partly inspired by Russian fashion. ‘How have you been?’

‘Wonderful. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m happy. Our hive house is splendid. Mabel is a great queen.’ They strolled past the tents together.

‘I worried about you. You dislike vampires so much and the last time I saw you, you were so thin. At least you gained some weight.’

‘Mabel couldn’t take it anymore. She keeps a special selection of pies just for me.’

‘It’s nice to know that she takes care of you. She seems eccentric, but nice.’

‘She is. And you, how’s Prudence?’

‘Growing up fast. You should come visit her, if you ever have the chance. Lord Akeldama spoils her to bits. He has so many little dresses for her. Oh, I even believe that he commissioned a hat from your shop last week? A really outrageous pink one for the little princess.’

They laughed and Genevieve was happy that they were on good terms still. When she met with Mabel again, the blonde seemed distant. Something was lingering on her mind, but she didn´t speak about it. Even though she was immortal, Mabel Dair seemed tired and at a loss.

´What´s wrong?’

‘It won’t be enough, I fear,’ she stared at the performers and the lanterns.

‘What do you mean?’

‘The people don’t look the same. The performances are not the same. It’s like they are all behaving in a big bubble, all slowed down. I can’t very well explain it, but it’s like they are not meant to be here.’

‘Well, this is your nest, and you are physiologically connected to it. Maybe your instinct tells you that you should protect it from outsiders?’ Madame Lefoux suggested.

‘I don’t believe these nests are just nests. This place is a prison. Did you know that some queens went crazy? The loneliness and boredom of being immortal affected their mind. Most queens go insane eventually. It just takes some of them longer than others. I am afraid that I might go hysteric.’

‘You are being dramatic. You have only been a queen for a year. It takes time. Consult with Nadasdy, she might have some advice.’

Mabel did not seem to listen. ‘Did you know that they experimented with lobotomies? Didn’t help. Not really.’

‘Don’t talk like this,’ Madame Lefoux whispered.

‘What should I do? I need new experiences. A world full of experiences.’

Genevieve touched her hand. ‘We will make this work. The blood, the sensation, that is what your kind lives for. You are just a bit melancholic, that’s all.’

‘You are not the only one who needs space,’ she hissed, and then added. ‘You would have been so much happier with Alexia, I just know it.’

Madame Lefoux did not know what to reply to that.

 

*

Strolling through the garden by herself, Madame Lefoux tried to rid herself of the anger that she felt. Mabel had purposely hurt her, but she understood why. Genevieve considered how her life had led up to this moment. She had gone through so much. She had grown from hating vampires to becoming their enabler. Now, after years of searching, she felt that she was right where she needed to be.

When Mabel had expressed her anxiety to leave the house, Genevieve realized that she – a clever inventor – could make that happen. This had to be her next project – a very challenging one, and dangerous, but very worthwhile. Looking up to the moon, she smiled to herself. Testing the boundaries of the natural habitat of the female vampire, inventing a device that would increase her mobility, how fascinating! She would keep a secret for Mabel for a moment, a surprise until she had done a literature review and worked on some prototypes.

Genevieve also reminded herself to go to the hat shop again to pick up the diaries from her aunt, who had worked with vampires quite closely in the days. In a way, her life work still continued that of her aunt, who had long ago tested the physiological borders of vampires, by sending a recruit into the aether. Madame Lefoux knew that her aunt would have approved. Beatrice Lefoux would have undoubtedly loved to get her hands on a vampire queen and test her limitations – carefully and according to the protocol, of course.

She stretched her arms and smiled. The inventor had not felt this great in a long time. The thought of this new invention – such a necessity for someone that she loved dearly – made her feel confident. Who else would be able to do this? It would be interesting to emancipate vampire kind in this way. She could just picture the look on Mabel’s face. The inventor realized that she could not have been with anyone else at this point in her life. When she would go back to Mabel, she would tell her that it always had been her, that she didn’t have to compare herself to Alexia.

Maybe this relationship wasn’t perfect, but it felt right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that you enjoyed this story! ^_^


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